GEORGETOWN, Texas — On the eve of the Heartland Conference Championship Tournament, the league announced its All-Conference Teams, honoring three representatives from Rattler Baseball as well as a Gold Glove selection.
Rene Solis (Sr., San Antonio),
Joe Hermsen (Jr., Overland Park, Kan.) and
Brooks Orton (Jr., Cedar City, Utah) were all selected All-Conference with Solis being named First Team and Hermsen and Orton making Second Team.
Centerfielder
Adrian Garcia (RS-Sr., El Paso, Texas) was also named to the All-Conference Gold Glove Team.
For ace Solis, his First Team selection is his third straight in four seasons as a Rattler. Solis remained a dominant force this season as the Rattlers' team leader, ranking No. 2 in the nation in victories with an 11-3 record.
Solis fanned 90 in 99 2/3 innings pitched so far this season for a 2.89 ERA with 11 complete games.
Newcomer first baseman Hermsen was an offensive threat all season, ranking among the team's top batters with a .319 batting average with nine doubles for 24 RBIs. Hermsen was also stout defensively, recording a .981 fielding percentage with 283 putouts, 28 assists and just six errors to earn his first All-Conference selection as a Rattler.
The Rattlers' other newcomer All-Conference selectee, Orton, quickly showed his biggest contribution for the Rattlers, ending the regular season with a conference-high 30 stolen bases that also tied St. Mary's single-season stolen bases record.
Orton recorded a team-high 12 doubles and five triples in the regular season as well as a team-high 44 runs scored as the Rattlers' leadoff man, recording 20 RBIs and a .285 batting average.
Making plenty of diving snags this season, centerfielder Garcia was named All-Conference Gold Glove after recording a .982 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in the regular season.
The Rattlers' All-Conference selections hope to give the Snakes a boost before the conference tournament, which starts with the Rattlers playing Newman at 1 p.m. Thursday in Georgetown, Texas.
