SAN ANTONIO – UTSA head coach Jason Marshall announced the Roadrunners' postseason awards, as voted on by the team.
The squad selected its recipients for Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and the Boston Koger Spirt Award.Most Valuable Player – Ben Brookover
Selected as a team co-captain prior to the season, Ben Brookover proved to be an important piece of UTSA's success during the 2018 season. The local product out of Reagan High School started 53 games in his senior campaign. Brookover hit .311 (65 for 209) with 13 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and a team-best 47 RBIs. Additionally, the first baseman slugged .493 and stole three bases. He amassed 21 multiple-hit contests, including a 4 for 5 performance against Prairie View A&M on April 11, which included a double, a homer and a career-high six RBIs. Brookover also starred defensively for the Roadrunners, ranking second on the team with a .989 fielding percentage during the season. He committed only five errors in 469 chances and was a part of 44 double plays.
Offensive Player of the Year – Bryan Arias
For the third consecutive season, Bryan Arias has been tabbed the team's offensive player of the year. Also a local product from Marshall High School, Arias led UTSA in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.335), runs (49), hits (74), home runs (8), total bases (120), slugging percentage (.543) and on-base percentage (.416). He also drove in 35 runs and stole 12 bases in 55 games as a junior. Arias racked up 24 multi-hit games. His 5 for 5 performance against Charlotte on May 24 tied a Conference USA Championship record for hits in a game.
Pitcher of the Year – Steven Dressler
Senior left-hander Steven Dressler was named the team's top pitcher following a standout campaign. The Burlington, Ontario, native started a team-high 15 games on the mound. He was 5-4 with a 3.05 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. Dressler notched a team-best nine quality starts, including a complete-game victory at Middle Tennessee on April 28. He also struck out seven in back-to-back wins against Marshall (March 24) and WKU (March 30).
Defensive Player of the Year – Chris Estrada
Senior Chris Estrada manned the hot corner for a majority of the season for the Roadrunners. The Corpus Christi native posted a .936 fielding percentage in 110 chances. He posted 78 assists and 25 putouts during the year. Estrada also was a part of five double plays.
Most Improved Player – Ryan Stacy
One year after playing in only 25 games, Ryan Stacy returned as a fixture in the offensive lineup for UTSA. The junior outfielder hit .189 a year ago. However, in 2018, Stacy batted .274 (54 for 197) with 15 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 32 RBIs. The Sugar Land native swatted all six homers after April 20. He also scored 37 runs and stole six bases.
Boston Koger Spirit Award – Andre Shewcraft
Andre Shewcraft was voted a team co-captain prior to his senior season. He then returned to action after missing all of 2017 while recovering from an injury. Shewcraft appeared in 22 contests on the mound. The right-hander from Pearland posted a 4.71 ERA and notched two saves in his final season. He also struck out 23 batters in 21 innings of action.
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