RICHARDSON, Texas –– The University of Texas at Dallas senior third baseman Cody Ross and Sul Ross State University junior shortstop Javier Arrieta earned player of the year honors, while University of Texas at Tyler senior right-hander Brett Holland, Hardin-Simmons University senior right-hander Kyle Barton and Concordia Texas University junior right-hander
Michael Johnson earned pitcher of the year accolades to highlight the 2009 American Southwest Conference baseball awards, following a division-only vote by head coaches, the conference office announced on Wednesday (May 6).
Ross (Austin, TX / Wharton JC) was named East Division Player of the Year after winning the division batting title with a .439 average. He led the league with 87 hits, 21 doubles and 159 total bases. His 64 runs scored tied an ASC-high. Ross also hit 15 home runs and collected 67 RBIs.
Arrieta (El Paso, TX (Mt. View HS) earned the title of West Division Player of the Year after batting .461 with 17 home runs, 15 doubles and 51 RBIs. He led the league with a .921 slugging percentage. His home runs total and 140 total bases were top marks in the West. Arrieta was also 15-for-17 on stolen bases.
Holland (Lindale, TX (LHS) was named East Division Pitcher of the Year after going 9-4 with a division-low ERA of 2.46 and recording an ASC-high 112 strikeouts. He recorded one save and logged 84 innings of work, helping the Patriots to their first ASC title.
Johnson ( Bellaire, TX (Northeast Christian) and Barton (Seymour, TX / SHS) shared the honor of West Division Pitcher of the Year. Johnson went 7-2 with a 2.38 ERA and recorded a division-high 109 strikeouts over 68 innings. He also hurled an ASC-high seven complete games. Barton went 9-1 with five saves and recorded 79 strikeouts over 63 innings. He also tied the league-high by picking off four base runners.
All five were first team selections in their respective divisions.
Other East Division award winners were Mississippi College junior right-hander Tyler Seaman (Pascagoula, MC / Jones County JC), who was named newcomer of the year after going 5-3 and tossing two no-hitters. LeTourneau outfielder Nick Mihalco (Spring, TX / Klein Collins HS) was named freshman of the year after batting .328 with 14 doubles. Texas-Dallas’ Jake Eisman (Highland Village, TX / FM Marcus HS) and Texas-Tyler’s Kendall Fox (Carrollton, TX / Creekview HS) – both senior outfielders – shared the title of East Division Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. Mississippi College’s Brian Owens, Tim Kendrick and Jake Bell guided the Choctaws to a share of the division title and took home coaching staff of the year honors.
Other West Division award winners were Texas Lutheran third baseman/right-handed pitcher Jeremy Macklin (Austin, TX / Huston-Tillotson), who shared top newcomer honors with CTX’s Johnson. Macklin went 6-1 with a league-low 1.99 ERA on the mound and batted .456 with a division-high 67 RBIs. TLU right-hander Brad Orosey (Houston, TX / Cypress Creek HS) was named freshman of the year after going 10-1 – which tied for the most victories in the ASC – and logging a league-high 92 innings. Hardin-Simmons sophomore left-handed pitcher Sam Walker (Abilene TX / AHS) was voted West Division Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. Hardin-Simmons and Texas Lutheran shared the coaching staff of the year award. HSU earned the right to host a first-round series of the ASC tournament and was guided by Steve Coleman, Brad Holcomb, Ben Burum, Brad Coleman and Blake Koch, while TLU claimed the division crown and was led by Greg Burnett, B.J. Griffith, Brian Wallace, Ryan Hindt and Fla Strawn.
[Note: ASC baseball awards are given only at the division level.]
-ASC WEST DIVISION BASEBALL AWARDS-
West Division Player of the Year: Javier Arrieta, SS, Jr., Sul Ross State University
West Division Co-Pitchers of the Year:
Kyle Barton, RHP, Sr., Hardin-Simmons University; Michael Johnson, RHP, Jr., Concordia University Texas
West Division Co-Newcomers of the Year:
Michael Johnson, RHP, Jr., Concordia University Texas; Jeremy Macklin, 3B/RHP, Sr., Texas Lutheran University
West Division Freshman of the Year: Brad Orosey, RHP, Texas Lutheran University
West Division Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year: Sam Walker, LHP, So., Hardin-Simmons University
West Division Co-Coaching Staffs of the Year:
Hardin-Simmons University (Steve Coleman, Brad Holcomb, Ben Burum, Brad Coleman and Blake Koch); Texas Lutheran University (Greg Burnett, B.J. Griffith, Brian Wallace, Ryan Hindt and Fla Strawn)
(Listed in order of voting point totals; #, & indicates tie in voting at that position)
ALL-WEST DIVISION FIRST TEAM
1B Blake Shaffer Sr. Howard Payne Brownwood, TX (Cisco JC)
2B Tre Lips Sr. McMurry Terrytown, LA (THS)
SS Javier Arrieta Jr. Sul Ross State El Paso, TX ( Mt. View HS)
3B Jeremy Macklin Sr. Texas Lutheran Austin, TX (Huston-Tillotson)
C J.T. Armstrong Jr. Hardin-Simmons Garland, TX (GHS)
OF Joseph Villegas Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Manchaca, TX (Hays HS)
OF Tom Williams Sr. Concordia Texas Austin, TX (McLennan CC)
OF Jake Mullins So. McMurry Burleson, TX (BHS)
DH Regan Dixon Jr. Hardin-Simmons Arlington, TX ( Arlington Martin HS)
UTL R.B. Garza Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Katy, TX (Cinco Ranch HS)
SP Michael Johnson Jr. Concordia Texas Bellaire, TX (San Jacinto JC)
SP Jared Hopper So. Mary Hardin-Baylor Kingwood, TX (Northeast Christian)
RP Kyle Barton Sr. Hardin-Simmons Seymour, TX (SHS)
ALL-WEST DIVISION SECOND TEAM
1B James Gage Sr. Hardin-Simmons Lewisville, TX (LHS)
2B Ray Martinez Sr. Schreiner Boerne, TX (BHS)
SS Brian Weeks So. Hardin-Simmons Tomball, TX (THS)
3B Stephen Derrick Sr. McMurry Cedar Park, TX (Navarro JC)
C Garrett Ison Fr. Howard Payne Cedar Park, TX (Cisco JC)
OF Ryan Nokelby Jr. Texas Lutheran Santa Fe, TX (SFHS)
OF Kyle Harvey Sr. Texas Lutheran Houston, TX ( Houston Christian HS)
OF Richard Sanchez
Sr. Schreiner Uvalde, TX (UHS)
OF Andrew White Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Houston, TX (Cy-Creek HS)
DH Weston Franco Sr. McMurry Comanche, TX (Cisco JC)
UTL Jeremy Macklin Sr. Texas Lutheran Austin, TX (Huston-Tillotson)
SP Brad Orosey Fr. Texas Lutheran Houston, TX (Cypress Creek HS)
SP Matt Coburn Sr. Concordia Texas Houston, TX (TCU)
RP Sam VanHoozer Fr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Salado, TX (SHS)
ALL-WEST DIVISION HONORABLE MENTION
1B Chad Thielepape Sr. Concordia Texas Austin, TX (Westwood HS)
Oliver Stogsdill Sr. Schreiner San Antonio, TX (John Marshall HS)
James Johnson Jr. Sul Ross State Killeen, TX (Shoemaker HS)
2B Andrew Femath Jr. Texas Lutheran El Paso, TX (Howard JC)
Royce Rodriguez Fr. Howard Payne New Braunfels, TX (Canyon HS)
SS Marcus Myhaver Fr. Schreiner Houston, TX (Cy Falls HS)
Chris Green
Jr. Texas Lutheran Austin, TX (Concordia Texas)
Nathan Love Sr. McMurry Amarillo, TX (Western Texas JC)
Cale Thompson Sr. Howard Payne Stephenville, TX (SHS)
3B Eric Mata Fr. Sul Ross State El Paso, TX (Andres HS)
Josh Frederick Fr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Troy, TX (THS)
Dustin Climer
Jr. Howard Payne Arlington, TX (Mountain View CC)
Eric Bukowski Fr. Schreiner Houston, TX (Cy Falls HS)
C Jeff Jackson Jr. McMurry Pflugerville, TX (PHS)
Ryan Moreau Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Crosby, TX (East Texas Baptist)
Joe Pena
Jr. Schreiner Benavidez, TX (BHS)
Chris Siniff Sr. Texas Lutheran San Antonio, TX (Judson HS)
OF JD Escobar
Jr. Schreiner Freer, TX (FHS)
Gerard Morrison Sr. McMurry Fort Worth, TX ( FW Castleberry HS)
Taylor Zambreski
So. Howard Payne Aledo, TX (AHS)
Matt Roam Jr. Hardin-Simmons Midland, TX (Trinity Christian HS)
Jordan Hammontree Fr. Howard Payne Rowlett, TX (Rockwall HS)
DH Derek Draeger Fr. Mary Hardin-Baylor Kingwood, TX (Northeast Christian)
Oscar Ibieta So. Schreiner San Antonio, TX (Holy Cross)
Kyle Lloyd
Jr. Howard Payne Jarrell, TX (JHS)
Cody Miller So. Texas Lutheran New Braunfels, TX (NBHS)
UTL Michael Houser Jr. Schreiner Wimberley, TX (WHS)
SP Tim Kriegel Jr. Hardin-Simmons Round Rock, TX (RRHS)
Roger Ayala Sr. Schreiner Kerrville, TX (Tivy HS)
Colton Hermes Jr. Schreiner Hallettsville, TX (HHS)
Sam Walker
So. Hardin-Simmons Abilene, TX (AHS)
RP Stephen Szkotak
Sr. Concordia Texas Dripping Springs, TX (McLennan CC)
Tom Hembree Jr. Texas Lutheran Burnet, TX (BHS)
Eric Wehmeyer# Jr. Schreiner San Antonio, TX (O'Connor HS)
Jeremiah Steinert& Jr. Texas Lutheran Sugar Land, TX (Dulles HS)
Korey Rose& Fr. Schreiner New Braunfels, TX (NB Canyon HS)
For complete listing go to
www.ascsports.org