TYLER, Texas – Pitching dominated the awards presented to the St. Mary's University Baseball team on Wednesday evening at the banquet before the start of the second week of the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
Of the six student-athletes honored, four do their work on the hill for the Rattlers, who are the third-seed in the four-team double elimination tournament, which begins on Thursday at UT Tyler.
Senior utility player
Garrett Brooks (Spring Branch, Texas) was one of the two non-pitchers to win an award, earning a spot on the prestigious All-Academic team as well as Third-Team All-Conference. Brooks is hitting .385 for the season and leads the team in extra-base hits with 15 doubles, one triple and eight home runs. Brooks splits time between right field and first base for the Gold and Blue.
Junior catcher
Dillon Lopez (San Antonio) has thrown out 20 attempted base stealers this season, the most in the Lone Star Conference, earning the league's spot for catchers on the All-Defensive team. Lopez made only one error in the regular season in over 300 chances behind the plate. He also reached base in the first 37 games of the season and is tied with Brooks for the team lead in home runs with eight.
Starting pitchers
Gabe Cook and
Derek Maples, both hometown products, were named to the Lone Star All-Conference Second Team, while starter
Eric Tenery (Kerrville, Texas) and reliever
Joel Burgess (Atascocita, Texas) were voted to the All-Conference Third Team.
Cook is 7-1 in his 15 appearances with one complete game and three saves. He leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 18th nationally with a 1.06 WHIP, is second in the league with only 7.18 hits allowed per nine innings and has a 3.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is fifth in the LSC.
Maples, who earned the StMU Male Breakout Athlete of the Year award last week, is 4-2 with a 3.72 ERA and has two saves. Opponents are hitting only .238 against him, and he ranks fourth in the Lone Star Conference with 9.16 strikeouts per nine innings and fifth with 8.22 hits per nine innings.
Tenery is 7-1 over his 14 starts with a 5.17 ERA. He ranks third in the Lone Star Conference with 65 strikeouts and ninth with 3.10 walks allowed per nine innings to earn Third-Team honors. He has started all 14 contests and has pitched in two of the team's three shutouts.
Burgess sports a 5-2 record with 16 of his 17 appearances coming out of the bullpen. He has one save and pitched in two of the team's three shutouts, with a minuscule 2.88 ERA. In 40 2/3 innings, Burgess has struck out 43 and foes are hitting only .211 against him.
