Southland Announces Preseason All-Conference Baseball Teams
FRISCO, Texas – Northwestern State’s 2014 Freshman of the Year pitcher Adam Oller is among the 11 returning all-conference players who are on the 2015 preseason all-conference teams, which the league office announced Thursday.
Northwestern State leads all schools with three athletes representing the Demons on the preseason all-conference first-team. Senior first baseman Caleb Dugas completed the 2014 season batting .282 after starting all 59 games. He led his team in runs (40), putouts (527), fielding percentage (.984) and is the leading returner in doubles with 12. Joining Dugas on the first team from Northwestern State are senior third baseman Chase Daughdrill and sophomore pitcher Adam Oller. Daughdrill is the only other Demon to start all 59 games, leading the team in batting average (.324), RBI (38) and on base percentage (.410). Oller is one of two sophomores on the first team after wrapping up his rookie season with a 2.44 ERA and a 6-2 record while leading the Demons in strikeouts (58) in 92.1 innings pitched.
Regular season champion Sam Houston State has two returning all-conference selections in senior outfielders Colt Atwood and Hayden Simerly. Atwood is the leading offensive returner for the Bearkats with a .306 batting average, 83 hits and 40 runs. Atwood was 6-6 in stolen bases with a .993 fielding percentage. Simerly hit for .256, playing in all 62 games with 34 RBI. Sophomore pitcher Sam Odom was voted second-team all-conference after leading the Bearkat pitching staff with a 2.61 ERA and a 10-2 record during his rookie season.
McNeese State placed four players on the preseason all-conference teams with senior second baseman Andrew Guillotte and junior designated hitter Billy Sommers earning first-team honors. Guillotte started all 58 games for the Cowboys posting a .316 batting average in 247 at bats and led the team in runs (57), hits (78), doubles (14) and stolen bases (20). Sommers posted a .293 batting average with 27 at bats while accumulating 33 total bases. Picking up second-team honors for McNeese State are senior shortstop Connor Lloyd and senior outfielder Lucas Quary.
Lamar, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Central Arkansas each had three players earn preseason all-conference honors, while New Orleans had two selections. Nicholls and Houston Baptist had one each.
Lamar’s senior catcher Brandon Provost was voted preseason first-team all-conference while senior third baseman Reed Seely and senior designated hitter Kyle Markum were named to the second team. Provost hit .301 with 25 runs, nine doubles and 31 RBI for the Cardinals. Markum posted a .294 batting average in 126 at bats with 37 hits and 29 RBI. Seely hit .283 in 219 at bats with 60 hits and 40 run for the Cardinals.
A&M-Corpus Christi’s senior outfielder Tyler Ware and senior pitcher Matt Danton were preseason first-team all-conference selection for the Islanders with junior outfielder Jordan Lee named to the second team. Ware picked up 34 runs off of 60 hits including six triples and six doubles with seven stolen bases for the Islanders. Danton led the team’s pitching staff with a 3.64 ERA in 101 innings pitches striking out 64 batters and giving up 44 runs. Lee posted a .309 batting average with 71 hits, 29 RBI and 23 walks.
Central Arkansas placed three players on the preseason all-conference second-team with senior first baseman Nate Ferrell, junior second baseman Chris Townsend and junior pitcher Conner Gilmore. Ferrell is the team’s leading offensive returner after batting .309 with 55 hits, 31 RBI, 32 runs and 11 doubles with a .955 fielding percentage through 49 games. Townsend posted a .281 batting average in 199 at bats with 56 hits, 45 runs and a team-high 41 RBI in 54 games. Gilmore is the pitching staff’s top returning after posting a 2.98 ERA in 16 appearances and a 7-3 record. He threw 102.2 innings, giving up 48 runs and striking out 53 batters while holding opponents to a .233 batting average.
New Orleans’ sophomore shortstop Samuel Capielano earned a spot on the preseason all-conference first-team after leading the Privateers in batting average (.341), at bats (205), runs (28), hits (70) and total bases (81) while posting a .937 fielding percentage. Sophomore outfielder Hezekiah Randolph was named to the second team after batting .292 in 48 games with 22 runs, 51 hits and a team-best 31 RBI and a .973 fielding percentage.
Nicholls’ lone all-conference selection is first-team returner junior pitcher Grant Borne. Borne posted a 2.97 ERA in 15 starts in 100 innings pitch while striking out 81 batters and holding opponents to a .249 batting average.
Southeastern Louisiana’s junior pitcher Tate Scioneaux was named second-team all-conference with a 3.02 ERA in 110.1 innings pitched while striking out 77 batters and holding opponents to a .240 batting average.
Returning players who earned first- and second-team all-conference honors following the 2014 season automatically receive preseason honors. Third-team postseason selections move into vacated positions on the first and second preseason teams. The remaining spots are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
2015 Preseason All-Southland Conference Baseball Teams
|
First Team |
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Class |
Hometown |
|
1B |
Caleb Dugas* |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Raymond, Miss. |
|
2B |
Andrew Guillotte* |
McNeese State |
Sr. |
Moss Bluff, La. |
|
3B |
Chase Daughdrill* |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Mossier City, La. |
|
SS |
Samuel Capielano* |
New Orleans |
So. |
River Ridge, La. |
|
C |
Brandon Provost |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Port Neches, Texas |
|
OF |
Colt Atwood* |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Katy, Texas |
|
OF |
Tyler Ware* |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Omaha, Neb. |
|
OF |
Hayden Simerly* |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Round Rock, Texas |
|
DH |
Billy Sommers* |
McNeese State |
Jr. |
Moss Bluff, La. |
|
P |
Matt Danton* |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Conroe, Texas |
|
P |
Adam Oller* |
Northwestern State |
So. |
Conroe, Texas |
|
P |
Grant Borne* |
Nicholls |
Jr. |
Baton Rouge, La. |
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Class |
Hometown |
|
1B |
Nate Ferrell |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
Griffin, Ga. |
|
2B |
Chris Townsend |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
Batesville, Miaa |
|
3B |
Reed Seely* |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Baytown, Texas |
|
SS |
Connor Lloyd |
McNeese State |
Sr. |
Marshall, Texas |
|
C |
Samm Wiggins |
Houston Baptist |
Sr. |
Sugar Land, Texas |
|
OF |
Jordan Lee* |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
|
OF |
Hezekiah Randolph |
New Orleans |
So. |
Baton Rouge, La. |
|
OF |
Lucas Quary |
McNeese State |
Sr. |
Mt. Pleasant, Texas |
|
DH |
Kyle Markum |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Beaumont, Texas |
|
P |
Conner Gilmore* |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
Little Rock, Ark. |
|
P |
Sam Odom |
Sam Houston State |
So. |
Klein, Texas |
|
P |
Tate Scioneaux |
Southeastern La. |
Jr. |
Reserve, La. |
*Returning all-conference selection