2008 Golden Baseball League Rookie of the Year
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Former Pilot Named 2008 Golden Baseball League Rookie of the Year NOVEMBER 14, 2008 Former LSUS baseball standout and Calgary Vipers outfielder Colin Moro has been named the 2008 Golden Baseball League Rookie of the Year. Moro, a member of the LSUS baseball program from 2005-2007 and native Calgarian, completed his first year of professional baseball with a .325 batting average including 17 doubles, two home runs and 40 runs batted in. He also accumulated a slugging percentage of .433 and on base percentage of .452, while committing only 4 errors in 81 games. “We scouted Colin in the GBL Arizona Winter League last spring,” said Peter Young. “We drafted him out of the AWL on the advice of bench coach Brad Doss and expected him to contend for a roster spot from the opening of training camp. Colin exceeded our expectations from day one and by working daily with skipper Mike Busch and hitting coach Morgan Burkhart was able to make an amazing transition from college ball to the pros.” “To hit over .300 in your first year of pro ball is a pretty amazing feat,” added Busch. “Colin worked on every aspect of his game from the first day of training camp and he should be proud of his accomplishments.” The 24-year old Moro is expected to be back for his second season with the Vipers in 2009. Pilot Baseball Players Impress Over the Summer SEPTEMBER 05, 2008 Here’s hoping summer 2008 was a preview of spring 2009. As if they were focused on a repeat performance of a 2008 record-breaking campaign, several Pilots enjoyed success on the baseball diamond with their summer teams. Six Pilot baseball players competed this summer for the Gametime Rockies in the first-ever Louisiana Collegiate League (LCL), which also consisted of players from ETBU, Louisiana College, Centenary, ULM and Northwestern St. The Rockies, led by Andrew Brouillette, Craig Barnes, Josh Todd, Chase Wentz, Turner Brasher and Gino Spratley, took home the inaugural LCL championship, finishing the regular season with a 21-2 record. The Rockies continued their stellar play throughout the postseason, as they qualified for the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series by winning the Mississippi Baseball Congress State Championship. The Rockies finished 2-2 at the NBC World Series, as several Pilots gained valuable experience against some of the top amateur baseball player in the nation. Brouillette led the Rockies in hitting with a .361 batting average, while driving in 28 runs and also scoring 23 times. Brouillette also finished 10-for-10 in the stolen base department. Barnes hit .351 over the summer and had a team-high four homeruns for the Rockies, while Chase Wentz (.307 AVG) and Josh Todd (.298 AVG) each had productive summers at the plate. Pitchers Turner Brasher and Gino Spratley each showed flashes of brilliance on the mound this summer in the LCL. Brasher was nearly unhittable for the Rockies, giving up only one unearned run over the summer and striking out 42 batters in just 31 innings pitched. Spratley began the summer playing for the Gametime Angels, but as a result of his success on the mound, the Rockies picked up Spratley for their postseason rotation and Spratley delivered with a winning performance in the Mississippi Baseball Congress state championship game. Seniors Jeff Garidel, Colby Lehman and Quinton Shamsabady were also busy on the diamond this summer, as the trio headed out west for a change of scenery. Garidel and Lehman each competed for the Clovis (Calif.) Outlaws in the Horizon Air Summer Series. Garidel was selected as a 1st-Team member on the All-Series baseball team and to the HASS All-Star game after batting .387 and knocking in 29 runs during the regular season. Lehman logged 23 innings on the mound for the Outlaws, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.17 ERA. Shamsabady was a member of the Havasu (Ariz.) Heat this summer, as his team posted a 44-1 overall record during the regular season. The Heat also advanced to the NBC World Series, finishing with a fourth-place overall finish. Shamsabady batted .392 in 25 games, with 3 homeruns and 21 RBIs. Success on the diamond has been the theme for those involved with LSUS baseball over the past decade. And, if this summer is any indication of what is to come in 2009, you might want to jump on board. LSUS Baseball: 2008 Season Review JULY 19, 2008 It has been nearly two months since the end of the 2008 baseball season at LSUS, but as the dog days of summer have quickly come upon us and a new season is right around the corner, the memory of last year’s record-breaking season for the Pilots is one that will not soon be forgotten. The 2008 season saw the Pilots set a new mark for highest winning percentage in a season, win their third consecutive GCAC Tournament championship and make another appearance in the Region XIII Championship game. LSUS also made waves on the national scene in 2008, being ranked in the NAIA Top 25 for the majority of the season, while also setting three new GCAC single-season offensive records and finishing at the top of several offensive categories in the NAIA rankings. In 2008, LSUS Baseball compiled a single season school-record .746 winning percentage with a 47-16 record. In what was supposed to be a transition year, the Pilots found their stride in April and May running off a streak of 20 wins in 23 games to enter postseason play as on of the hottest teams in the country. LSUS continued their stellar play in the postseason as they captured their third consecutive GCAC Tournament title and advanced to the Region XIII Tournament. The 2008 Region XIII Tournament played host to one of the elite regionals in NAIA baseball with five of the six teams nationally ranked in the Top 25. The Pilots advanced to the championship game for the fourth time in the last six years, before falling to the eventual National Runner-up Lee University, 10-7. LSUS finished the 2008 season ranked as the No. 18 team in the country, while reaching the No. 11 spot at one point during the year. Offense was the theme of the 2008 version of LSUS baseball, as the Pilots shattered three GCAC and school records over the course of the season. LSUS set new marks for runs in a season (584), offensive walks (343) and doubles (146). Pilot hitters fell five walks short of tying the NAIA National record of 348 walks in a season, set in 1999 by Oklahoma City University. LSUS sophomore Craig Barnes also tied the LSUS single-season homerun record with 13 round-trippers. Two key components for the Pilots offense last season were freshman Andrew Brouillette and senior Jeff Ledet. Brouillette and Ledet were ranked at the top of almost every offensive category for the Pilots, leading the charge on their record-breaking season. Ledet finished the season with a .427 batting average, while smashing seven homeruns and driving in 55 runs. Brouillette hit at a .410 clip, leading the Pilot offense in hits (82), walks (44) and on-base percentage (.526). Ledet and Brouillette were each named to the All-GCAC and All-Louisiana teams following the season, while Brouillette earned First-Team All-Region honors. Although the Pilots offense stole the show in 2008, Pilot ace Victor Hernandez shined on the mound for the Pilot pitching staff. Hernandez picked up 11 wins on the season against just one loss, while on his way to earning All-GCAC and All- Louisiana honors. Hernandez led the Pilots in wins, complete games (4), innings pitched (105) and strikeouts (77), while also posting a 3.50 ERA. In addition to their success on the playing field in 2008, several Pilot players also excelled in the classroom during the 2007-08 school year. Eleven LSUS baseball players were named to the All-GCAC Academic Team for their efforts both on the field and in the classroom. Since joining the GCAC eight years ago, the LSUS Pilots have won more games (325) than any other member of the conference, averaging over 40 wins a year over that span. The Pilots have also been the most dominant collegiate program in the State of Louisiana over the last six seasons, winning more games (260) than any other four-year school. With the return of seven position starters in 2009 and several talented newcomers, the LSUS community should be extremely excited about the future of LSUS baseball. If 2008 was supposed to be a transition year, the 2009 squad could easily find themselves in uncharted waters for LSUS baseball. LSUS Baseball Adds 14 to 2009 Roster JULY 19, 2008 The LSUS baseball program has added 14 players to the 2009 roster, as announced today by head coach Rocke Musgraves. The Pilots signed two NCAA Division One transfers, nine high school athletes and three junior college transfers to the 2008-09 recruiting class. The 2008-09 class is highlighted by McNeese State transfer Kyle Lawrence. Lawrence, a fleet-footed, slick-fielding shortstop was a First Team All-Conference selection at BPCC in 2007. He was also a Louisiana First-Team All-State selection at Benton High School where he hit .510 as a senior in 2005. Three local high school players will begin their college careers next season in a LSUS uniform, as Cory Cottonbrook (Springhill), Toby Remedies (Zwolle) and Kyle Pierson (North Desoto) will all play for the Pilots in 2009.