Troy University Athletics
Ray and Bryant Selected to Preseason All-SBC Team
2/11/2011 9:49:21 AM | Baseball
Trojans Picked Fifth in Race for League Crown
NEW ORLEANS, La. – A pair of returning veterans for the Troy University Trojans were named to the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Baseball Team, the league announced on Friday.
Senior shortstop Adam Bryant and junior starting pitcher Tyler Ray were among the 16 players recognized on the preseason team, which was selected by the league's 10 head coaches.
As a team, the Trojans were picked to finish in the middle of the pack in 2011. Defending regular season SBC champion Florida Atlantic was the overwhelming choice to defend the title, gaining six of the 10 first place votes.
FIU, which won the 2010 Sun Belt Tournament title, was picked second, with one first place vote, followed by UL Lafayette with two first place votes.
Western Kentucky was picked fourth, followed by Troy in fifth, Arkansas State in sixth and Middle Tennessee and South Alabama tied for seventh. ULM, which received the final first place vote, was picked ninth, followed by UALR.
“This season looks to be another very competitive year of Sun Belt Conference baseball,” Trojans head coach Bobby Pierce said. “With the number of starting players we lost from last year, I think the preseason ranking of fifth is fair.
“I certainly hope our team, and the new players we have brought in, finish better than that but, I can understand why, in the preseason, that fifth is where we are placed. The clubs ahead of us return more players than we do, but we look forward to competing with them in 2011.”
Bryant, who is the first player to return to Troy following an All-America season, is a preseason All-America selection this year after leading the Sun Belt Conference with 23 homers while hitting .356 with 65 RBI. In addition to his offensive production, the Pensacola, Fla., native was also the best defensive player at his position in the nation, posting a .990 fielding percentage.
Ray was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year following the 2009 season and improved his production as a sophomore, posting an 8-4 record with a 5.34 ERA. Over his two seasons at Troy, the Hoover, Ala., native has a 15-7 record in 30 starts with a 4.98 ERA.
“Tyler and Adam are both very deserving of their preseason honors,” Pierce said. “We look forward to both of those guys being a key part of our team.”
Surprisingly, the league's preseason Player of the Year, FIU junior Garrett Wittles, did not earn mention on the preseason All-Conference team. Wittles enters the 2011 season with a 56-game hitting streak, just two games shy of the NCAA Division I record of 58 games set by Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State in 1987.
Arkansas State junior Jacob Lee was named the league's preseason Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander was 8-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 15 starts for the Red Wolves in 2010.
Overall, FAU and WKU led the way, each with three players named to the preseason All-Sun Belt team. FAU senior Andy Mee was named to the team twice, both as a relief pitcher and as an outfielder.
Troy, ULL and ASU each had two players named to the team while South Alabama and FIU each had one.
The 2011 college baseball season will open next Friday with a full slate of games around the league. The Trojans will open the season at home against High Point on Friday night, with the first pitch on opening day scheduled for 6 p.m. The Trojans and Panthers are scheduled to play a double-header on Saturday, Feb. 19, starting at 1 p.m. and will complete the four-game set on Sunday with a single game scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
2011 SBC Coaches Poll (1st-place votes)
| 1. | Florida Atlantic (6) | 95 |
| 2. | FIU (1) | 85 |
| 3. | UL-Lafayette (2) | 82 |
| 4. | WKU | 64 |
| 5. | Troy | 52 |
| 6. | Arkansas State | 48 |
| 7. | Middle Tennessee | 41 |
| 7. | South Alabama | 41 |
| 9. | ULM (1) | 26 |
| 10. | UALR | 16 |
2011 All-SBC Preseason Team
| Name | Pos. | Year | School |
| Jacob Lee | SP | Junior | Arkansas State |
| T.J. Geith | SP | Senior | UL-Lafayette |
| Tyler Ray | SP | Junior | Troy |
| Andy Mee | RP | Senior | Florida Atlantic |
| Rye Davis | RP | Junior | WKU |
| Matt Rice | C | Senior | WKU |
| Dan Scheffler | 1B | Senior | Florida Atlantic |
| Raymond Church | 2B | Senior | Florida Atlantic |
| Jordan Poirrier | 2B | Senior | UL-Lafayette |
| Adam Bryant | SS | Senior | Troy |
| Jake Overstreet | 3B | Senior | South Alabama |
| Todd Baumgartner | OF | Senior | Arkansas State |
| Andy Mee | OF | Senior | Florida Atlantic |
| Kes Carter | OF | Junior | WKU |
| Mike Martinez | DH | Junior | FIU |
Preseason Player of the Year
| Garrett Wittels | SS | Junior | FIU |
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
| Jacob Lee | SP | Junior | Arkansas State |
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