Cajuns Place Four On All-Louisiana Baseball Team
Brock, DeBarge named to first team; Hood, Rawls second-team picks
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball team placed four players on the 2023 Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana College Baseball team, the organization announced on Thursday.
Highlighting the Ragin' Cajuns contingent on the 37-man team were first-team selections Julian Brock and Kyle DeBarge. The duo were joined by second-team pics Cooper Rawls and Heath Hood.
The major awards for the All-Louisiana team were given to LSU's Dylan Crews (Hitter of the Year), Paul Skenes (Pitcher of the Year), Tommy White (Newcomer of the Year) and Jay Johnson (Coach of the Year). Nicholls State's Jacob Mayers was voted as the Freshman of the Year.
The LSWA All-Louisiana Baseball Team is comprised of student-athletes from 16 universities and colleges from across the state throughout all affiliations of collegiate athletics. The team was selected through a vote conducted by the state's baseball athletic communicators and a statewide media panel.
Brock posted a .315 average during the season and led the team with 11 home runs and 65 RBI. The Buster Posey Watch List candidate ranked among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in average, slugging percentage (.559), on-base percentage (.435), RBI, doubles (17) and sacrifice flies (6).
The junior ranked among the top 5 in the SBC in total chances, putouts and runners caught stealing. Brock finished tied for third on the team with 18 multi-hit games and was the team leader with 17 multi-RBI games.
He started in 63 of Louisiana's 65 games behind the plate and recorded three of the Ragin' Cajuns five grand slams in 2023.
DeBarge led Louisiana at the plate posting a .371 average while recording seven home runs and 38 RBI. The second-team All-Sun Belt selection was second on the team in both slugging percentage and on-base percentage and was fourth in RBI despite missing 13 games due to injury.
The SBC All-Tournament and NCAA Coral Gables Regional All-Tournament pick was second on team in multi-hit games (21) and served as the infield anchor of the SBC's top fielding team (.982).
Rawls posted a 10-1 record for Louisiana with a 3.66 earned run average and two saves. The Hallsville, Texas native made 25 appearances on the season with five starts while fanning 50 batters in 64.0 innings pitched.
He became the first Ragin' Cajuns pitcher since Gunner Leger – a three-time ABCA All-Region pick and 2017 ABCA All-American – to earn 10 wins in a season. Rawls ranked among the Sun Belt and Division I leaders in wins and was the team leader in ERA.
Seven of Rawls' 10 wins came in relief role while the right-hander posted a 4-1 record overall in SBC games. Rawls played a part in four of Louisiana's five shutouts on the mound and was part of a Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff which was second in the SBC in ERA (4.75) and WHIP (1.38).
Hood finished second overall in hitting for Louisiana posting a .354 average with six home runs, 41 RBI and 36 stolen bases. The team leader in multi-hit games and second in multi-RBI games, Hood ranked among the SBC leaders in hitting, runs scored, hits, triples, sac flies and stolen bases
He became the first Ragin' Cajun to steal 30+ bases since Nathan Nelson in 2000 and opened season with a 31-game streak of reaching base (48 games total after reaching in final 17 games of 2022).
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Re: Cajuns Place Four On All-Louisiana Baseball Team
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