Stephen F. Austin outfielder Bryson Myles was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year by a vote of league coaches and sports information directors, the league office announced Monday in conjunction with the release of its all-conference teams. The Lumberjack junior was also named the league’s hitter and newcomer of the year, becoming the first player in Southland history to earn all three awards in the same season.
Texas State pitcher Carson Smith repeated as the conference’s pitcher of the year, while his coach Ty Harrington was named the Clay Gould Southland Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to their third consecutive regular-season championship. McNeese State senior Jordan LeGros was named the conference’s relief pitcher of the year, while Central Arkansas’ Jonathan Davis was named the league’s top freshman.
Stephen F. Austin outfielder Bryson Myles is the first player in conference history to be named the leagues player, hitter and newcomer of the year in the same season.
Myles, a junior from Grand Prairie, Texas, led the conference with a .413 batting average, 92 hits and a .480 on-base percentage. He also was the conference steals leader, swiping 50 of a league-best 63 attempts. Myles, a two-time conference hitter of the week this season, also ranked second in runs scored (64), fourth in total bases (129), fifth in slugging percentage (.578) and 11th in home runs (seven). Twenty of his 92 hits were for extra bases, including 10 doubles and three triples. He drove in 33 runs, was walked just 21 times and struck out 32 times. In conference games, Myles was the league leader in batting average (.427), runs scored (40), hits (61) and stolen bases (27).
He is the first Southland Conference player since 1996 to steal 50 bases in a single season and could become the first player since 1995 to lead the league in hits and steals in the same season. Myles, a junior college transfer from Weatherford College, is just the second Lumberjack to earn player and hitter of the year honors, joining Steven Hill, who won both awards in 2007.
Smith finished the regular season with an 8-3 record and a conference-best 1.98 earned-run average to become the first Bobcat to earn pitcher of the year honors in consecutive seasons. The junior from Midland, Texas, also led the league with 114 strikeouts and was second with a .217 opponent batting average and sixth with 95.1 innings pitched. His eight wins tied him for third among the conference leaders. The first-team all-conference pitcher limited conference hitters to a .205 batting average and struck out 96 batters as his ERA dipped to 1.76 in conference play. Smith is the first player to be named the Southland’s pitcher of the year in consecutive seasons since 1985-86 and is just the second pitcher to accomplish that feat since the award began in 1970.
Harrington picks up his coach of the year honor after guiding Texas State to a regular-season championship for the third consecutive season. Now in his 12th season at Texas State, Harrington earned his 400th career win earlier this season and has guided the Bobcats to a 410-294 overall record and three regular-season championships. He coached the Bobcats to their third of three conference tournament titles in 2000, his first season. This year’s squad finished 24-9 in conference play and was 35-20 during the regular season, and, after receiving votes in the national polls for most of the year, climbed into the top 25 in the Baseball America poll for the final three weeks of the season. The team’s 35 wins is tied for the most in the conference this season, a plateau Harrington’s teams have reached in four of the last five seasons, including a school-record 41 in 2009. Harrington was previously the Southland’s coach of the year in 2009 and is the first two-time coach of the year in school history.
LeGros is the second player to be named the conference’s relief pitcher of the year. McNeese State’s right-handed pitcher led the conference with 12 saves, a figure that ranks among the top 20 nationally. The senior from Lafayette, La., also is the conference leader with 25 games finished. LeGros is tied for second with 27 appearances and 27 games in relief. He carried a 3-2 record and a 2.27 ERA to go with 38 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. LeGros limited batters to a .188 average and allowed only eight earned runs.
Davis is the first Central Arkansas baseball player to earn any of the conference’s individual superlative awards. The outfielder from Camden, Ark., led all freshmen with a .350 batting average, a figure that rank sixth overall in the league. He was 55-of-157 with 14 extra-base hits, including five home runs. His 21 stolen bases led all freshmen and were the fifth most in the league. Davis, who made 41 starts as a true freshman, led the Bears in batting average, runs (43), slugging (.522), on-base percentage (.441), stolen bases and tied for the lead in home runs.
Texas State placed a league-best six student-athletes on the three all-conference teams, including four on the first team and two on the second team. Infielders Casey Kalenkosky, Tyler Sibley and Kyle Kubitza joined Smith in receiving first-team honors. Catcher Andrew Stumph and outfielder Jeff McVaney earned second-team honors. Kalenkosky led the conference with 60 RBI and 18 home runs in the regular season. Sibley ranked fourth in runs scored (55) and eighth in batting average (.346), while Kubitza led the league in walks (47), tied for second in RBI (55) and triples (seven).
McNeese State, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State also placed two each on the first team. Shortstop Jace Peterson and outfielder Lee Orr earned first-team honors for McNeese. Lumberjack catcher Jarid Scarafiotti joined Myles on the first team, while Sam Houston State placed designated hitter Chris Andreas and pitcher Matt Shelton on the first team. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi outfielder Matt Holland and Nicholls pitcher Seth Webster round out the first team. Holland is the first Islander to be selected to the first team.
All 12 teams had at least two all-conference selections. After Texas State’s six honorees, Southeastern Louisiana placed five, including shortstop Justin Boudreaux and pitchers Tyler Watkins and Brandon Efferson on the second team and second baseman Brock Hebert and outfielder Jeff Harkensee to the third team. McNeese State had four while Nicholls and Sam Houston State each placed three on the all-conference teams.
In addition to the Cowboys’ two first-team selections, they also placed LeGros and outfielder Seth Granger on the second team. Sam Houston State’s two first-team honorees were joined on by second-team second baseman Ryan Mooney. Webster was joined by his teammates, designated hitter Jeremy Hill, who earned second-team honors, and shortstop Chase Jaramillo, who earned third-team recognition. The complete all-conference list follows this release.
Another 16 student-athletes earned honorable mention after earning votes from at least 25 percent of the league’s coaches and sports information directors.
Twelve of the 35 all-conference players were repeat selections, including Orr, McNeese’s first-team outfielder, and UTSA first-baseman Ryan Hutson, who earned third-team kudos. This marked the second award for 10 other selections, including a total of six on the first team and three each on the other two teams.
The 2011 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament gets underway Wednesday at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas. The winner of the double-elimination tournament earns the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, which starts June 3 with regional play.
2011 All-Southland Conference Baseball Teams
| First Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | University | Class | Hometown |
| 1B | Casey Kalenkosky | Texas State | Jr. | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2B | Tyler Sibley2 | Texas State | Jr. | Frisco, Texas |
| 3B | Kyle Kubitza2 | Texas State | Jr. | Colleyville, Texas |
| SS | Jace Peterson2 | McNeese State | Jr. | Lake Charles, La. |
| C | Jarid Scarafiotti | Stephen F. Austin | Jr. | Shreveport, La. |
| OF | Bryson Myles | Stephen F. Austin | Jr. | Grand Prairie, Texas |
| OF | Matt Holland | A&M-Corpus Christi | Sr. | Watkins, Iowa |
| OF | Lee Orr3 | McNeese State | Jr. | El Campo, Texas |
| DH | Chris Andreas2 | Sam Houston State | Sr. | Brenham, Texas |
| P | Carson Smith2 | Texas State | Jr. | Midland, Texas |
| P | Seth Webster | Nicholls | Jr. | Deville, La. |
| P | Matt Shelton | Sam Houston State | Sr. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Second Team | ||||
| 1B | Trey Hernandez2 | A&M-Corpus Christi | Sr. | Robstown, Texas |
| 2B | Ryan Mooney | Sam Houston State | Sr. | The Woodlands, Texas |
| 3B | Brian Nephew | UT Arlington | Sr. | Arlington, Texas |
| SS | Justin Boudreaux2 | Southeastern La. | Jr. | Prairieville, La. |
| C | Andrew Stumph | Texas State | So. | Katy, Texas |
| OF | Jonathan Davis | Central Arkansas | Fr. | Camden, Ark. |
| OF | Seth Granger | McNeese State | Jr. | Iowa, La. |
| OF | Jeff McVaney2 | Texas State | Jr. | Houston, Texas |
| DH | Jeremy Hill | Nicholls | Jr. | Long Beach, Miss. |
| P | Tyler Watkins | Southeastern La. | Sr. | Petal, Miss. |
| P | Brandon Efferson | Southeastern La. | Sr. | Zachary, La. |
| P | Jordan LeGros | McNeese State | Sr. | Lafayette, La. |
| Third Team | ||||
| 1B | Ryan Hutson3 | UTSA | Sr. | Round Rock, Texas |
| 2B | Brock Hebert | Southeastern La. | So. | Bourg, La. |
| 3B | Ryan Dalton | UTSA | So. | Sugar Land, Texas |
| SS | Chase Jaramillo | Nicholls | Sr. | Andalusia, Ala. |
| C | Chad Comer2 | UT Arlington | Sr. | Mansfield, Texas |
| OF | Colin Bear | Northwestern State | Jr. | Houston, Texas |
| OF | Jeff Harkensee | Southeastern La. | Sr. | Arlington Heights, Ill. |
| OF | Jeff Abt | Lamar | Jr. | Houston, Texas |
| P | Dustin Ward | Central Arkansas | Jr. | Little Rock, Ark. |
| P | Luke Irvine2 | Northwestern State | Sr. | Liberty, Mo. |
| P | Blake Ford | Lamar | Sr. | Lufkin, Texas |
2 indicates two-time all-conference selection;
3 indicates three-time all-conference selection.
Honorable Mention – First Base: Jonathan Pace, Southeastern Louisiana. Second Base: Ryan Walker, UT Arlington. Third Base: Renny Weber, McNeese State. Shortstop: Braeden Riley, Sam Houston State. Catcher: Tyler Carpenter, UTSA; Joey Latulippe, Lamar. Outfielders: Riley Good, UTSA; Jacob Perales, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Ted Zentek, Lamar. Pitchers: Colton Turner, Texas State; Jason West, Stephen F. Austin; Casey Selsor, UTSA; Stefan Lopez, Southeastern Louisiana; Brandon Kimbrel, Sam Houston State; Jared West, Stephen F. Austin; Jeff McVaney, Texas State.
Player of the Year: Bryson Myles, Stephen F. Austin
Hitter of the Year: Bryson Myles, Stephen F. Austin
Pitcher of the Year: Carson Smith, Texas State
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Jordan LeGros, McNeese State
Freshman of the Year: Jonathan Davis, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Bryson Myles, Stephen F. Austin
Coach of the Year: Ty Harrington, Texas State
