Saint Leo baseball junior outfielder Bobby Sparling and coach Rick O’Dette were named the 2022 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Player and Coach of the Year, respectively, on May 16.
The two are a big reason the Lions are making their first NCAA postseason appearance since 2001. Saint Leo’s season came to a close on May 22 when it lost to Lee University (Tennessee) in the NCAA South Regional Tournament.
Sparling led the SSC in home runs (21), RBI (62), hits (72), slugging percentage (.758) and on-base plus slugging (1.214). He also was fourth in conference batting average (.371) and seventh in runs scored (46). Sparling is the third Lion to win Player of the Year honors and the first since 1998.
O’Dette, in his fifth season, led the Lions to a 35-15 record, a regional hosting bid and numerous national team rankings. O’Dette also secured his 100th win with the Lions on March 27 and his 600th career win on April 12.
Published June 1, 2022.
