MONROE, La. - After serving as two of the primary sources for the Blue Raider offense this season, Will Skinner and Hank LaRue were both voted to All-Sun Belt Second Team on Tuesday night, as announced by the league office.
The awards mark the 11th consecutive season that the Blue Raiders have placed two or more athletes on an All-SBC squad.
Skinner, a senior, had a standout year for Middle Tennessee and the Sun Belt, leading the conference in home runs (16), slugging percentage (.655) and total bases (144). The Murfreesboro native also earned his first Sun Belt Player of the Week award earlier this season.
"It's a culmination of Will's career here," head coach Steve Peterson said. "He was the main part of our offensive line-up, and he batted clean-up from day one this season until the end. He put in a lot of hard work and became an outstanding outfielder and a heck of a ball player. I feel very confident that he'll continue his career into professional baseball."
LaRue stands on the opposite side of the spectrum, becoming the first freshman since Bryce Brentz to take home freshman All-Conference honors and just the third since MT joined the Sun Belt in 2001. The Evansville, Ind., native finished his first season in Murfreesboro with a .306 average with 34 runs batted in and 37 walks while playing outstanding defense at third base.
"In just his first year, Hank showed me that he is definitely a ball player," Peterson said. "From the first day of fall practice, he showed me that he really loves to play ball. He really give us his all, whether it's at practice, in the weight room or on game day. It's going to be very fun to watch his career blossom and develop over the next few years."
All-Sun Belt First Team SP - Paul Davis, Florida Atlantic SP - Tyler Ray, Troy RP - Hugh Adams, Florida Atlantic C - Matt Rice, Western Kentucky 1B - Joey Rapp, ULM 2B - Raymond Church, Florida Atlantic SS - Adam Bryant, Troy 3B - Tyler Hannah, Troy 3B - Jeremy Patton, FIU OF - Todd Baumgartner, Arkansas State OF - Pablo Bermudez, FIU OF - Kes Carter, Western Kentucky DH - Nick Rountree, UALR UTIL - Tyson Workman, Troy
All-Sun Belt Second Team SP - Phil Haig, FIU SP - Tanner Perkins, Western Kentucky RP - Nate Hill, Troy C - Brent Tanner, South Alabama 1B - Mike Martinez, FIU 2B - T.J. Rivera, Troy SS - Nick DelGuidice, Florida Atlantic 3B - Hank LaRue, Middle Tennessee OF - Jared Andreoli, Western Kentucky OF - Alex Hudak, Florida Atlantic OF - Will Skinner, Middle Tennessee DH - Lance Marvel, Louisiana UTIL - Brad Hook - South Alabama
Sun Belt Co-Players of the Year Pablo Bermudez, FIU Adam Bryant, Troy
Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Tyler Ray, Troy
Freshman of the Year Justin Hageman, Western Kentucky
Ron Maestri Coach of the Year Bobby Pierce, Troy |