IRVING — Megan Low was named the preseason Conference USA Player of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday.
The Spring native hit .388 (5th C-USA) with 34 runs, 12 doubles, 22 home runs (1st C-USA/3rd NCAA), 47 RBIs (3rd C-USA), 137 total bases (1st C-USA), a .901 slugging percentage (1st C-USA/4th NCAA) and a .513 on-base percentage (2nd C-USA) en route to first-team All-C-USA and second-team NFCA All-South Region honors last season. Low was the NCAA statistical champion for home runs per game (0.44) and she helped the Roadrunners slug 1.31 homers per outing, which ranked ninth in the nation.
She led the NCAA in home runs for six consecutive weeks (March 30-May 4) and despite missing the final series of the season with an injury, she closed the regular season tied for the nation’s lead. Low tied school single-game records with seven RBIs (vs. Lamar) and three homers (vs. Texas State) during the campaign and helped UTSA tie an NCAA record with one of the squad’s two grand slams in an inning.
In addition to her work on the field, she was named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and All-Academic Team and claimed the C-USA Spirit of Service Award.
Meanwhile, the Roadrunners were picked to finish seventh in the league, with UAB and FIU in a first-place tie. Florida Atlantic was tabbed third followed by Marshall, WKU, North Texas, UTSA, Charlotte, UTEP, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee.
UTSA, which returns six starters and 13 letterwinners from last year’s squad, will open its season Feb. 6-8 at the Hotel Encanto Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M.