SANFORD, Fla. — Recognitions have already started to come in for the Santa Clara University baseball team in 2024, and the season hasn't even started yet.
 
Senior outfielder JonJon Berring and junior right-handed pitcher Blake Hammond were both named preseason all-conference Wednesday by Perfect Game as part of the organization's West Coast Conference preview.
 
Berring returns in 2024 for his senior campaign after earning all-WCC Honorable Mention accolades in 2023. Berring, who has been a staple in left field for the Broncos, hit .315 with four home runs, 10 doubles and 24 RBIs last season. Perfect Game's season preview gave Berring a "70 run tool" on the 20-80 scale. He has 41 career stolen bases, 13 away from the Santa Clara career top-10 list. He was second on the team in 2023 with 16 swipes.
 
Hammond went 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 19 relief appearances last season, picking up all-WCC second team honors along the way. He had a better-than 2-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio while holding opponents to a .210 batting average. Hammond struck out opponents at a high rate, averaging 12.63 Ks per nine innings. He only allowed two home runs a year ago, tied for second-lowest on the team among pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched.
 
Perfect Game's season preview credited Hammond's "high spin curveball" and mid-90s fastball velocity for his high swing-and-miss rate.
 
Berring, Hammond and the Broncos kick off their 2024 campaign on Feb. 16 in Tempe, Ariz., with a three-game series against Arizona State. They open their 25-game home slate on Feb. 23 versus UMBC. Season tickets, single-game, and mini plans for all 25 of the Broncos' 2024 home games are on sale now. Click here to purchase your tickets online, call the Broncos ticket office (408-554-4660) or email them at broncotickets@scu.edu.