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Baseball: Duo Earns All-Sun Belt Tourney Honors – Scott Hawkins and Justin RobichauxJoshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • May 26, 2009 Two players who made a big difference in UL’s surprising run through the Sun Belt baseball tournament last week received some individual recognition. First baseman/designated hitter Scott Hawkins and pitcher Justin Robichaux were named to the all-tournament team for the No. 5 seed Ragin’ Cajuns, based on voting by the head coaches from the eight tourney teams. Both players were preseason all-conference selections. "We’re honored to have two guys on there," UL coach Tony Robichaux said. "We didn’t get the ultimate trophy, but at least we had two guys get recognized while we were there. That’s a positive thing. "Hopefully, we can get more (all-tournament selections) than that for next year." Hawkins, a senior from Collierville, Tenn., was honored after hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two home runs and six RBIs – both team highs – in four tournament games as the Cajuns advanced to a bracket final. He also had an .800 slugging percentage and a .471 on-base percentage. "I had a good week hitting the ball, and it was definitely a good time to get some pretty good swings," said Hawkins, also an all-tournament team pick last year. "I think I might have put too much pressure on myself at times this season, so I definitely wanted to relax and try to have more fun. Hawkins, named second team all-conference last week, ended the season as UL’s team leader in home runs (10), on-base percentage (.417) and walks (30). He tied for first in runs scored (42), was second in total bases (103), third in RBIs (34) and tied for third in hits (60) and stolen bases (eight). For his career, Hawkins finished in the top five in multiple offensive categories at the school. He leaves as the program’s all-time home runs leader with 42 career bombs. The next step for Hawkins might be a pro career with Major League Baseball’s amateur draft coming up June 9-11. "I had a chance to play last year and got calls from teams in the 10th and 11th round, but the money wasn’t good enough for me to step away from school," Hawkins said. "I’m still 50-50 on whether I’ll continue my career if I get the chance. I have 18 or 21 hours left until I finish school. "It’s something I need to sit down and talk about with my family." Robichaux, a junior right-hander, was dominant in a second-round start against top-seeded and eventual tourney champion Middle Tennessee on Thursday. He allowed nine hits but gave up only one run in seven innings as the Cajuns took a 5-4 win. "Anytime you get an award like that, you definitely feel honored," Robichaux said. "I felt like we had a good chance to win the tournament. I’m just proud of what we accomplished and how we never stopped fighting." Robichaux played a big part in helping UL lead the Sun Belt in team ERA for the fifth consecutive year. After closing for the first half of the season, Robichaux moved into the starting rotation and posted a 1.98 ERA – one run less than any other pitcher in the league. A Crowley native, Robichaux gave up only 13 earned runs in 59 innings and held opponents to a .259 batting average. At one point, he went 30 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. With better defensive play and run support, he would have likely improved on his 3-3 record. This summer Robichaux plans to either play in the prestigious Cape Cod League or coach the Louisiana Legends, a local summer-league team. There’s also a chance he gets drafted this summer. All-Tournament Team
Sun Belt Conference Baseball All-Tournament Team Player Pos School Nathan Hines OF MTSU Bryce Brentz OF/P MTSU Rawley Bishop 3B MTSU Corey Brown P ULM Ben Soignier SS/P ULM Perry Smith OF ULM Matt Hightower P/OF WKU Chad Cregar OF WKU Bart Carter P WKU Scott Hawkins 1B/DH UL Justin Robichaux P UL Mike Albaladejo C FAU Charley Williams OF Troy Most Valuable Player Kenneth Roberts P MTSU . ![]()
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