10 baseball players named to all-Southern Conference teams

The Eastern Florida State College baseball team had 10 players named to the all-Southern Conference teams on Monday.

The Titans, who finished second in the Southern Conference and host the Southern Conference Tournament beginning Wednesday, had the most players of any team make the all-conference teams.

Catcher Austin Bates was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and Carter Stewart was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Bates is hitting .354 this season with 15 doubles, 24 runs batted in and 25 runs scored. The sophomore from Ossining, NY has also scored 12 bases and has thrown out 58 percent of the base stealers this season.

Stewart leads Region 8 in ERA with a 1.84 as well as strikeouts with 96. The freshman from Eau Gallie High School is 2-2 this season over 68 1/3 innings in 12 starts.

Second baseman Steven Lugo, outfielder Alvaro Valdez and starting pitcher Pablo Barquero Jackson were also named to the first team.

Lugo started 46 games in the infield this season hitting .319 and scored a team-high 46 runs for the Titans. The sophomore from Tampa has 60 hits and drove in 26 this season. 

Valdez started 40 games in the outfield with 15 doubles and scored 32 runs this season. The sophomore from Miami has driven in 26 runs for the Titans.

Barquero is 6-4 in 13 starts this season with a 2.76 ERA. The left-handed sophomore from Costa Rica has struck out 75 in 75 innings as the No. 2 starter for the Titans.

Outfielder Kevin Silva, infielders Dilan Espinal and Alejandro Rodriguez as well as designated hitter Clayton Stanley and relief pitcher Andres Rodriguez made the second team.

Silva has started all 48 games this season and is hitting .297. The sophomore centerfielder from Kissimmee is second in Region VIII with six triples and has scored 35 bases this season.

Espinal started 34 games and is hitting .348 this season with 12 stolen bases. The sophomore from Puerto Rico has scored 23 times and driven in another 16.

Rodriguez has started 45 games in the infield and has stolen 10 bases. The freshman from Puerto Rico is hitting .313 and has scored 29 runs for the Titans.

Stanley has hit four home runs and driven in 28 in 41 games this season. The sophomore from Melbourne is hitting .290 and also has scored 18 runs.

Rodriguez has a 1.59 ERA in 18 appearances with five saves. The sophomore from Palm Bay has 43 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings this season.

"When your opponents are doing the voting and they vote for our guys it means they proved something over the season. I am proud of all of them, they all deserved it," Eastern Florida State College baseball coach Jason Arnold said. "It is just a testament to their hard work and guys staying healthy and the training staff has done a great job keeping them healthy. It all culminates to this, a great honor for them and for the team."

The Titans will be at Bruce Bochy Field Wednesday in the Southern Conference Tournament. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free.