University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajun Land Three On All SBC Team
5/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Cajun Land
Three On All SBC Team
Wednesday, May 20, 2003
LAFAYETTE, La.- Three members of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Team Tuesday at the annual Sun Belt Conference Awards Banquet here at Blackham Coliseum.
Junior outfielder and Lafayette native Corey Coles was named to the first team for the second year in a row, after posting a .369 batting average with eight homeruns and 38 RBIs. Coles lead the Cajuns in batting average, homeruns, runs scored, hits (83), doubles (16), triples (7), slugging percentage (.609), on-base percentage (.406) and total bases (137).
Jordy Templet received first team honors as a starting pitcher. In 15 appearances, Templet compiled a 6-4 record with a 3.72 earned run average. The Gonzales, La., native struck out a team-high 82 batters in 94 1/3 innings. Templet held his opponents to a .239 batting average, second best on the team.
Junior College transfer Ryan Core was tabbed to the Sun Belt Conference second team, batting .325 with five homeruns and 25 RBIs. Core started 38 games behind the plate and was second on the team in doubles (13).
New Mexico State junior first baseman Billy Becher was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year after leading the nation in homeruns (30) and RBIs (109). Becher also leads the conference in hits, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, total bases and batting average. Second baseman Brad Ditter and outfielder Alex Borgo were also named to the first team from New Mexico State. Three other Aggies were named to the second team.
For the second year in a row, Western Kentucky pitcher Matt Wilhite was named Pitcher of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference. Florida International's shortstop Luis Rivera was named Freshman of the Year and South Alabama's Steve Kittrell was named Coach of the Year for the fourth time in six years.
South Alabama's Ryan Mulhern was named to Sun Belt Conference first team for the second year in a row. Mulhern belted 17 homeruns and 59 RBIs this season, leading the Jaguars to the regular season title and the number one seed in this week's tournament. Jaguar shortstop Brett Parker also made the first team. Parker was second on the team in batting average (.373).
Rounding out the first team are pitcher Josh Banks (FIU), catcher Rick Guarno (UALR), third baseman Brett Carroll (MT), designated hitter Bryan Pullin (FIU) and utility man Chad Cooper (MT).
The 26th Annual Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament gets underway Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. when No. 1 seed South Alabama begins the defense of their conference championship against No. 8 Arkansas State at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will play the night cap, against No. 6 seed Middle Tennessee at 6:30 p.m.
ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE TEAM
FIRST TEAM
SP - Josh Banks, Jr., FIU
SP - Jordy Templet, Jr., UL Lafayette
RP - Matt Wilhite, Sr., WKU (repeat from 2002)
C - Rick Guarno, Jr., UALR
1B - Billy Becher, Jr., NMSU
2B - Brad Ditter, Jr., NMSU
SS - Brett Parker, Sr., USA
3B - Brett Carroll, So., MT
OF - Corey Coles, Jr., UL Lafayette (repeat from 2002)
OF - Ryan Mulhern, Sr., USA (repeat from 2002)
OF - Alex Borgo, Sr., NMSU
DH - Bryan Pullin, Fr., FIU
UT - Chad Cooper, Sr., MT
SECOND TEAM
SP - Clark Girardeau, Jr., USA
SP - Dustin Cameron, So., NMSU
RP - Derek DeCarlo, So., FIU (repeat from 2002, but as a SP)
C - Ryan Core, Jr., UL Lafayette
1B - Josh Archer, So., MT
2B - Chris Julo, Sr., UALR
SS - Matt Rogelstad, Jr., ASU
3B - Kevin Sytko, Sr., USA
OF - Ricardo Nanita, Jr., FIU
OF - Joe Pietro, So., UNO
OF - Aaron Haefele, Jr., UALR
DH - Keith Jenkins, Jr., NMSU
UT - Dustin Mote, Jr., NMSU
Player of the Year - Billy Becher, Jr., 1B, NMSU
Pitcher of the Year - Matt Wilhite, Sr., WKU
Freshman of the Year - Luis Rivera, Fr., SS, FIU
Newcomer of the Year - Billy Becher, Jr., 1B, NMSU
Coach of the Year - Steve Kittrell, South Alabama
-Ragin' Cajuns-
