Eight from LA Tech recognized in All-Conference USA baseball awards

IRVING, Texas – Eight bulldogs earned postseason recognition from Conference USA Tuesday, as Hunter Wells and Logan Bailey were named All-C-USA First Team, Parker Bates, David Leal and Logan Robbins were named All-C-USA Second Team, Steele Netterville and Taylor Young were named to the All-Freshman Team, and Cory Barton was recognized as the league’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Sophomore Hunter Wells and junior Logan Bailey highlighted the awards for the Bulldogs, garnering First Team All-Conference recognition. Wells leads the league in hits with 85, and is just four shy of setting a new single-season program record (88 – Raphael Gladu, 2017 and Jay Adcock, 1980). Wells leads the team in batting average (.350), multiple-hit games (29) and is second with 10 multiple-RBI games.

Meanwhile, Bailey, has been a consistent Sunday starter for the Bulldogs. His 1.90 ERA is second best among league qualifiers. Of his 13 starts this season, he has pitched at least five innings in 10 of those. In games which he has started, Tech is 11-2. His eight wins are tied for most among league leaders.

In his first year at Louisiana Tech, Barton has guided one of the top pitching staffs in the nation to earn the Assistant Coach of the Year award. LA Tech’s team ERA (3.32) has consistently ranked among the top 15 in the nation all year long, while setting the bar for C-USA. Barton has guided a brand new starting staff to a combined 323.2 innings pitched – the best mark of any starting group in C-USA. The Bulldogs own the best WHIP in C-USA (1.24-17th nationally), and second-best K-to-BB ratio in C-USA (2.93 – ninth nationally).

Sophomore centerfielder Parker Bates, and junior starting pitchers David Leal and Logan Robbins were all voted to the All-CUSA Second Team. Bates leads the team with 49 RBI, and has posted the most multiple-RBI games of any Tech player with 13. Leal, who was an incredibly consistent midweek starter for the ‘Dogs all season, has continued that into conference play, and leads the team with 84.1 innings pitched. Robbins has posted a 7-1 record in his first year in the Red and Blue, and has made 10 quality starts in 13 appearances this season.

Rounding out the list of accolades were two rookies in Steele Netterville and Taylor Young, who were both named to the league’s All-Freshman Team. Netterville has solidified himself as a legitimate power threat at the heart of the Tech lineup. He leads the team in slugging (.617), and has racked up 17 RBI in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Young, has stepped into the leadoff role admirably. The on-base machine leads the team with 41 walks (fourth-most in C-USA), and has posted a team-high .478 OBP in 2018.

The Bulldogs open the Conference USA Tournament tomorrow afternoon as the No. 2 seed, taking on the No. 7 Rice Owls at 12:30 p.m. CT from MGM Park in Biloxi, Miss.

2018 CONFERENCE USA BASEBALL AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Luke Reynolds, Jr., 3B, Southern Miss

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Nick Sandlin, Jr., RHP, Southern Miss

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jose Garcia, Fr., C, FIU

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Luke Reynolds, Jr., 3B, Southern Miss

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tyler Frank, Jr., SS, Florida Atlantic

KEITH LeCLAIR COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Berry, Southern Miss

ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
Cory Barton, Louisiana Tech

FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Tyler Frank, Jr., Florida Atlantic
IF Ford Proctor, Jr., Rice
IF Luke Reynolds, Jr., Southern Miss
IF Eddie Silva, Jr., FIU
OF David Miranda, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OF Jacob Rhinesmith, Jr., WKU
OF Matt Wallner, So., Southern Miss
C Reynaldo Pastrana, Jr., Marshall
DH Hunter Wells, So., Louisiana Tech
UT Austin Dennis, Jr., Middle Tennessee
SP Logan Bailey, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Matt Canterino, So., Rice
SP Josh Maciejewski, Sr., Charlotte
SP Jake Miednik, Sr., Florida Atlantic
SP Nick Sandlin, Jr., Southern Miss
RP Jonah Patten, Sr., Charlotte
RP Zach Schneider, Jr., Florida Atlantic

SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Aaron Aucker, Sr., Middle Tennessee
IF Steven Kraft, Sr., WKU
IF Jackson Mims, Jr., Charlotte
IF Austin Shenton, So., FIU
OF Parker Bates, So., Louisiana Tech
OF Ryan Chandler, Sr., Rice
OF Reece Hampton, Jr., Charlotte
C Harris Yett, Jr., Charlotte
DH Brett Blackwood, Jr., UAB
UT Logan Allen, Fr., FIU
SP David Leal, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Andres Nunez, Jr., FIU
SP Logan Robbins, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Jake Wyrick, Sr., Middle Tennessee
RP Ben Morrison, Sr., WKU
RP Drew Peden, Sr., Florida Atlantic

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
IF Trei Cruz, Rice
IF Joshua Lamb, UTSA
IF Taylor Young, Louisiana Tech
OF Luke Brown, WKU
OF Gabe Montenegro, Southern Miss
OF Dylan Rock, UTSA
C Jose Garcia, FIU
DH Steele Netterville, Louisiana Tech
UT Logan Allen, FIU
UT Eric Stock, Old Dominion
RHP Dane Acker, Rice