MONROE, La. -- ULM first
baseman Joey Rapp was named to the Sun Belt All-Conference First Team, the
league office announced Tuesday night at Warhawk Field during the opening
ceremonies for the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championships.
Rapp, who transferred to ULM
from Chipola College prior to the season, finished second in the Sun Belt with
13 home runs and a .591 slugging percentage in his first season at ULM. The
junior from Sarasota, Fla., hit nine of his home runs during league play, which
was tied for best in the Sun Belt.
From the third game of the
season until the final weekend of play, Rapp reached base safely in 48 straight
games. His streak was the fourth longest in the NCAA this season before it
ended. He finished the season second on the team with a .318 batting average
and .438 on-base percentage. Rapp led the Warhawks with 46 RBIs and a 1.029
OPS.
Rapp hit a pair of
game-winners for the Warhawks during league play. He belted a two-out, two-run
home run in the top of the ninth inning in game two at UL-Lafayette to help the
Warhawks take the series from the Cajuns. A few weeks later, Rapp hit a
walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift ULM past
Arkansas State.
He is the first ULM player to
earn first team honors in the Sun Belt since three-time All-American Ben
Soignier earned the distinction in 2009. He joins Soignier (twice) and Dexter
Fontenot as ULM's All-Sun Belt First Team selections since they joined the
league in 2007.
2011 All-Sun Belt First Team
SP - Paul Davis, Florida Atlantic
SP - Tyler Ray, Troy
RP - Hugh Adams, Florida Atlantic
C - Matt Rice, WKU
1B - Joey Rapp, ULM
2B - Raymond Church, Florida
Atlantic
SS - Adam Bryant, Troy
3B - Tyler Hannah, Troy
3B - Jeremy Patton, FIU
OF - Todd Baumgartner, Arkansas
State
OF - Pablo Bermudez, FIU
OF - Kes Carter, WKU
DH - Nick Rountree, UALR
UTIL - Tyson Workman, Troy
2011 All-Sun Belt Second Team
SP - Phil Haig, FIU
SP - Tanner Perkins, WKU
RP - Nate Hill, Troy
C - Brent Tanner, South Alabama
1B - Mike Martinez, FIU
2B - T.J. Rivera, Troy
SS - Nick DelGuidice, Florida
Atlantic
3B - Hank LaRue, Middle Tennessee
OF - Jared Andreoli, WKU
OF - Alex Hudak, Florida Atlantic
OF - Will Skinner, Middle
Tennessee
DH - Lance Marvel,
Louisiana-Lafayette
UTIL - Brad Hook - South Alabama
2011 Co-Players of the Year
Pablo Bermudez, FIU
Adam Bryant, Troy
2011 Pitcher of the Year
Tyler Ray, Troy
2011 Freshman of the Year
Justin Hageman, WKU
2011 Ron Maestri Coach of the
Year
Bobby Pierce, Troy
