Southland Conference

FRISCO, Texas – Ten of 13 Southland Conference schools are represented on the league’s 2017 preseason All-Conference Baseball teams. The league announced the selections Monday. Voting was among the conference’s baseball coaches.

Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana, and Lamar paced the way, with each school represented with five picks on the teams.  Three players from New Orleans received pre-season honors.

The Bearkats are the defending regular season and tournament champions and the winners of four of the last five regular season crowns. Sam Houston is the pre-season favorite, according to a recent poll of conference head coaches and sports information directors.  Southeastern Louisiana, the regular-season champions in 2015, is tabbed for a second-place finish and Lamar was voted to finish third.

Notables named to the teams include:

• Lamar senior outfielder Reid Russell, the conference’s hitter of the year in 2016
• Southeastern Louisiana’s Kade Granier, last season’s  Southland Relief Pitcher of the Year
• Another Lion, outfielder Brennan Breaud returns after claiming the conference Freshman of the Year award

The ten schools represented: Lamar (5) Sam Houston State (5); Southeastern (5); New Orleans (3); Stephen F. Austin (2); Abilene Christian (1), Central Arkansas (1); McNeese (1); Nicholls (1);  Northwestern State (1).

The two teams total 25 players, including a tie for the second team 3B slot between Lamar’s Robin Adames and Sam Houston State’s Andrew Fregia.

2017 Preseason All-Southland Baseball Teams
First Team

Pos.	Name	University	Class	Hometown
1B	Trey Silvers	Lamar	Sr.	Manvel, Texas
2B	Carson Crites *	Southeastern Louisiana	Sr.	Amarillo, Texas
3B	Dakota Dean *	New Orleans	Sr.	Crestview, Fla.
SS	Aaron Palmer *	New Orleans	Sr.	Jesup, Ga.
OF	Reid Russell *	Lamar	Sr.	Longview, Texas
OF	Conner Fikes *	Stephen F. Austin	Sr.	Rowlett, Texas
OF	Bryce Johnson *	Sam Houston State	Jr.	Cypress, Texas
C	Bryndan Arredondo *	Lamar	Sr.	Lubbock, Texas
DH	Hezekiah Randolph *	New Orleans	Sr.	Baton Rouge, La.
P	Mac Sceroler *	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Denham Springs, La.
P	Heath Donica *	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Corsicana, Texas
P	Collin Kober *	McNeese	Sr.	Lake Charles, La.

 
Second Team

Pos.	Name	University	Class	Hometown
1B	Russell Crippen	Abilene Christian	Sr.	Snohomish, Wash.
2B	David Fry *	Northwestern State	Jr.	Colleyville, Texas
3B	Robin Adames[1]	Lamar	So.	Bronx, N.Y.
3B	Andrew Fregia1	Sam Houston State	So.	Liberty, Texas
SS	Brennan Breaud *	Southeastern Louisiana	So.	Norco, La.
OF	Webb Bobo *	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Prattville, Ala.
OF	Zac Michener *	Stephen F. Austin	Sr.	Kennedale, Texas
OF	Cutter McDowell	Lamar	Sr.	Friendswood, Texas
C	Robie Rojas	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Jersey Village, Texas
DH	Kyle Knauth*	Nicholls	Jr.	Slidell, La.
P	Riley Gossett*	Sam Houston State	So.	Cypress, Texas
P	Kade Granier	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Destrehan, La.
P	Cody Davenport	Central Arkansas	So.	Fayetteville, Ark.

 
*2016 All-Conference selection
 
[1] Tied with same number of votes for 3B
 
All 13 conference schools will be in action Friday (Feb. 17) when the 2017 baseball season commences.  Conference play begins March 10, while the 2017 Southland baseball tournament is set for May 24-27 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas. This year marks the 54^th season of Southland Conference baseball. 

Please click here for the entire 2017 Southland Conference baseball schedule.