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Baseball: Cajuns Grab Top Academic Honor – Hawkins Second Team in All-Conference Selections
TROY, Ala. – The Ragin’ Cajuns baseball program picked up the Sun Belt Conference’s top academic honor, the Team Academic Award, for having the league’s highest team GPA. Scott Hawkins also came away with a spot on the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team, and finished fourth in the Family Night Home Run Derby.
The awards were distributed as part of the Sun Belt’s second annual Family Night, which also features a home run derby and a fireworks display.
The Cajuns have been making strides academically ever since the spring of 2003, when head coach Tony Robichaux brought Chris Domingue, director of baseball operations, on board to supervise student-athletes academically. Since his arrival, the team GPA has risen from 2.4 to 3.01 for the 2007-08 school year, which was the award-winning mark.
Hawkins earned second team recognition, his second appearance on an All-Sun Belt team after first-team honors in 2007. He participated in the Home Run Derby, hitting six home runs in the 10-out first round and three in the five-out second round to take fourth in the competition. The winner of the competition was Chad Cregar from Western Kentucky, who hit 21 home runs to take the title.
Michael Cook, Matt Goulas and Dayton Marze picked up their certificates for the Sun Belt Commissioner’s List to recognize their 2007-08 GPAs of 3.5 or better, and Corey Chapman and Justin Robichaux got their Sun Belt Honor Roll certificates for marks of 3.0 or better.
The Cajuns will take on FIU in the first round of the tournament Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., at Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Ala., on the campus of host institution Troy University. The second round games of the double elimination tournament all take place Thursday, May 21, followed by third round games on Friday, May 22, and the competition finishes with the championship game(s) on Saturday, May 23.
All-Sun Belt Conference First Team Starting pitchers – Kenneth Roberts Middle Tennessee; Matt Hightower WKU Relief pitcher – Coty Woods, Middle Tennessee Catcher – David Doss, South Alabama First base – Mike Martinez, FIU Second base – Ryan Mollica, FIU Shortstop – Ben Soignier, ULM Third base – Wade Gaynor, WKU Outfield – Tyler Townsend, FIU; Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee; Chad Cregar, WKU Designated hitter – Tim Jobe, FIU Utility – Michael Precise, Troy
All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team Starting pitchers – Tom Ebert, FIU; Matt Ridings, WKU Relief pitcher – Chris Sorce, Troy Catcher – Drew Robertson, Middle Tennessee First base – Ryan Ditthardt, Troy Second base – Boomer Blanchard, ULM Shortstop – Terrence Dayleg, WKU Third base – Rawley Bishop, Middle Tennessee Outfield – Jon Prevost, ULM; Nathan Hines, Middle Tennessee; Adam Heisler, South Alabama Designated hitter – Scott Hawkins, Louisiana Utility – Murray Watts, Arkansas State
Player of the Year – Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee Pitcher of the Year – Matt Hightower, WKU Freshman of the Year – Tyler Ray, Troy Newcomer of the Year – Boomer Blanchard, ULM Coach of the Year – Chris Finwood, WKU
-www.RaginCajuns.com-
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