| Sherman Corbett |
FRISCO ? UTSA's current run of championship success is expected to continue this spring, as the Roadrunners were the unanimous pick to defend their back-to-back Southland Conference Championships, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Two-time defending SLC Coach of the Year Sherman Corbett welcomes back 22 letterwinners, 10 pitchers and half dozen position starters from last year's squad that tied the school record with 39 victories (22-8 in league play).
In what is expected to be a hotly-contested race for the conference title this season, the Roadrunners topped the Sports Information Directors Preseason Poll with 110 points, including five first-place votes. Sam Houston State and Texas State tied for second with 106 points, but the Bobcats collected four first-place votes to the Bearkats' two.
The coaches rankings had a much different look, but the one constant was UTSA at the top. The Roadrunners picked up 110 points and five first-place nods. Lamar racked up 102 points and a pair of first-place votes, which was good for second, and Texas State rounded out the top three with 95 points and two first-place tallies.
This spring, the conference slate has expanded to 33 games and all 12 teams will reside in one division.
The honors did not stop there, as UTSA had four players earn preseason All-SLC accolades.
| Michael Rockett | Zach Calhoon |
Leading the way were preseason All-Americans Michael Rockett and Zach Calhoon, who both were first-team selections.
Rockett, who has earned preseason first-team All-America honors from the NationalCollegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and second-team accolades from Collegiate Baseball and also is amember of the Brooks Wallace Award (nation's top player) preseasonwatch list, is the reigning SLC Player of the Year.
The Sugar Land native is coming off a junior seasonthat saw him collect second-team honors from the NCBWA and third-teamaccolades from Collegiate Baseball.
Rockett hit .360 with a school-record 25 doubles, five triples, 10 homeruns and 68 RBIs (t-No. 2 UTSA history) last year. He also scored 60runs (No. 5 UTSA history), recorded 154 total bases for a .623 sluggingpercentage and stole nine bases. The 2006 Freshman All-American led theRoadrunners in at-bats (247/t-No. 2 UTSA history), batting average,hits (89/t-No. 2 UTSA history), doubles, triples and total bases inaddition to ranking second in multi-hit contests (26), homers, RBIs,multi-RBI games (19), slugging percentage and steals. One of thetop defensive center fielders in the country, the 6-foot-1, 180-poundermade several highlight-reel catches in addition to recording ateam-high seven outfield assists, all of which resulted in runnersbeing gunned down at the plate.
He was named Louisville SluggerCollegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on March 3 afterhitting for the second cycle in school history on March 1 againstSacred Heart. Not only did he accomplish the feat in just four innings,but Rockett also had a career-high six RBIs in the 16-2 victory atWolff Stadium.
Calhoon, a preseason third-team All-American (Collegiate Baseball/NCBWA), was the league's most dominant closer lastspring. He saved a UTSA-record and conference-leading 13 games (in 15chances), a mark that ranked eighth nationally. The Spring native saved his first 10 chances of theseason and had a 4-1 record and 1.54 ERA in his 26 games out of thebullpen. The right-hander allowed just 22 hits (.153 BAA) and struckout 54 in 41 innings, did not give up an earned run in 20 of hisappearances and won or saved 44 percent (17) of the Roadrunners' school-record-tying 39 victories last year. He pitched more than aninning in six of his saves and tossed a career-high five frames inwinning UTSA's 11-9, 12-inning contest at Houston on April 30. Calhoonset the program's all-time mark on April 4 at Southeastern Louisianawith his 12th career save and stretched that record to 19.
| Aaron Powell | Ryan Proudfoot |
Senior outfielder Aaron Powell and junior starting pitcher Ryan Proudfoot were second-team picks.
Powell is coming off a junior season that saw him hit .357 with four home runs and 34 RBIs in 44 games of action. The Midland native also had five doubles, three triples and a .517 slugging percentage to go along with 36 runs scored. He walked 16 times and reached base at a .430 clip. Powell racked up 16 multi-hit tilts, including a four-hit performance on March 1 against Sacred Heart, and 10 games with at least two RBIs. He ended the campaign on an 11-game hitting streak where he was 16-for-42 (.381).
Meanwhile, Proudfoot led the pitching staff with a 4.61 ERA and posted a 7-3 record with a pair of complete games in 14 appearances (12 starts). In 70.1 inning of work, the Lindale native allowed 67 hits (.260 BAA) and recorded 46 strikeouts. The right-hander tossed back-to-back complete game victories on April 16 at Lamar and seven days later at No. 25 Texas.
UTSA begins the 2009 campaign on Friday, Feb. 20, when it begins a four-game series against San Francisco at Wolff Stadium.