LA Tech’s Fincher and Young earn Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American honors

RUSTON, La. – After an historic season on the field last spring, Collegiate Baseball named Bulldog pitcher Jonathan Fincher and second baseman Taylor Young Preseason All-Americans on Tuesday morning.

Fincher earned second-team All-American honors, while Young was named as a third-team All-American.

Fincher, who was named a NCBWA Third Team All-American last season, finished 2021 with an 8-3 overall record. He posted a 3.05 ERA and an 85-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 100.1 innings of work.

Tech’s Friday night ace led the Bulldog pitching staff in strikeouts (85), innings pitched (100.1) and the lowest opposing batting average against him (.219), earning First Team All-Conference USA honors. The Shreveport, Louisiana native posted two complete-game shutouts in 2021, including a one-hit shutout at Tulane where he allowed just two baserunners in a Friday night start.

Fincher also excelled in the classroom earning CoSIDA Academic All-American and CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honors last spring. He was one of two Bulldogs named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team with a 3.89 GPA in biology.

Young, who was named an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award winner and C-USA’s Defensive Player of the Year a season ago, sported an incredible .993 fielding percentage at second base in 2021. The defensive standout did not commit an error until his 55th game of the season, finishing the year with just two fielding errors on 268 defensive chances.

The West Monroe native led the Bulldogs with 151 defensive assists and 32 turned double plays. Young held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage entering postseason competition in the Conference USA Tournament.

The second baseman also earned First Team All-Conference USA honors and Collegiate Baseball Third Team All-American honors after leading Conference USA in runs scored (83) and ranking inside the top 10 in the C-USA in walks (46 – T-2nd), hits (80 – fifth), on-base percentage (.454 – seventh), total bases (122 – T-8th) and HBPs (13 – sixth) last season.

The Diamond Dogs were ranked No. 15 in Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division I preseason poll announced on Monday. Tech finished the 2021 season with a 42-20 overall record and a 20-8 record in Conference USA play. The Bulldogs hosted their first ever NCAA Regional eliminating Alabama before falling to eventual CWS bound NC State in the Regional Final.

LA Tech opens the 2022 season at home against Wichita State on Feb. 18, before hosting No. 3 ranked LSU inside the Love Shack on Feb. 23.

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Collegiate Baseball 2022 All-Americans

FIRST TEAM
RHP Justin Campbell, Oklahoma St.
RHP Andrew Taylor, Central Michigan
LHP Parker Messick, Florida St.
RHP Blade Tidwell, Tennessee
LHP Hunter Barco, Florida
LHP Pete Hansen, Texas
Relief Landon Sims, Mississippi St.
C Daniel Susac, Arizona
1B Ivan Melendez, Texas
2B Jace Jung, Texas Tech.
3B Austin Knight, Charlotte
SS Brooks Lee, Cal Poly
OF Brock Jones, Stanford
OF Dylan Crews, Louisiana St.
OF Jud Fabian, Florida
DH/3B Jacob Berry, Louisiana St.
UT Paul Skenes, Air Force

SECOND TEAM
RHP Sam Highfill, N.C. State
LHP Austin Krob, Texas Christian
RHP Tristan Stevens, Texas
LHP Jonathan Fincher, Louisiana Tech.
RHP Jace Kaminska, Wichita St.
RHP Jordan Patty, Central Michigan
RHP Cam Schlittler, Northeastern
LHP Mike Sansone, Fairfield
RHP Jake Noviello, Fairfield
RHP Nick DeGennaro, Stony Brook
RHP Austin Peterson, Connecticut
RHP Michael Frias, U.C. Irvine
RHP Dylan Tebrake, Creighton
Relief Aaron Nixon, Texas
Relief Tanner Witt, Texas
Relief Carson Palmquist, Miami (Fla.)
Relief Devereaux Harrison, Long Beach St.
Relief Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt
C Logan Tanner, Mississippi St.
C Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
C Kevin Parada, Georgia Tech.
1B Tre Morgan, Louisiana St.
1B Cole Moore, Dallas Baptist
2B Robert Moore, Arkansas
2B Matt Shaw, Maryland
2B Carter Trice, Old Dominion
3B Ethan Long, Arizona St.
3B Tyler Bosetti, Nevada
SS Carter Young, Vanderbilt
SS Trey Faltine, Texas
OF Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech.
OF Jordan Beck, Tennessee
OF Enrique Bradfield, Jr., Vanderbilt
OF Jared McKenzie, Baylor
OF Dylan Beavers, California
UT Chris Campos, St. Mary’s

THIRD TEAM
RHP Corey Lewis, U.C. Santa Barbara
LHP Carter Benbrook, U.C. Santa Barbara
RHP Miles Smith, South Alabama
RHP Isaac Coffey, Oral Roberts
Relief Kolby Somers, Oregon
Relief CJ Culpepper, Cal. Baptist
Relief Kevin Davis, S.C. Upstate
C Jimmy Crooks, Oklahoma
C Evan Russell, Tennessee
1B Jackson Feltner, Morehead St.
1B Steven Moretto, Sacramento St.
2B Taylor Young, Louisiana Tech.
2B Mitchell Daly, Texas
2B Mario Camilletti, Central Michigan
3B Yohandy Morales, Miami (Fla.)
3B Luke Gold, Boston College
3B Tyler Locklear, Va. Commonwealth
SS Zach Neto, Campbell
SS Jacob Gonzalez, Mississippi
SS Jordan Sprinkle, U.C. Santa Barbara
OF Nathan Church, U.C. Irvine
OF Gavin Dugas, Louisiana St.
OF Tanner Smith, Oregon
OF Connor Denning, Campbell
OF Dylan Phillips, Kansas St.
OF RJ Schreck, Duke
OF Aaron Anderson, Liberty
OF Alan Roden, Creighton