Musgraves Named Louisiana Coach of the Year
June 12, 2011
By Matthew BonnetteWritten For the LSWA
NATCHITOCHES, La. - LSU Shreveport head coach Rocke Musgraves, who led his team to the NAIA World Series, was named the state's Coach of the Year, while the Pilots dominated the Second Team with four members selected as well as another chosen as honorable mention as part of the 2011 All-Louisiana Baseball Teams released Saturday by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
LSU outfielder Mikie Mahtook was an overwhelming selection as the 2011 All-Louisiana Hitter of the Year.
Mahtook joined fellow LSU teammates - pitcher Kurt McCune and designated hitter Raph Rhymes - as first team selections to lead all state schools with five first and second team selections. McNeese State equaled LSU with the most first team selections with three. Rhymes beat out Northwestern State pitcher Joe Scanio as the state's Newcomer of the Year, as Tiger second baseman JaCoby Jones was selected as the Freshman of the Year.
Southeastern Louisiana's Tyler Watkins was named Pitcher of the Year to round out the individual awards.
Mahtook, a junior from Lafayette, earned first team All-SEC honors and was a first round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays after he hit .383 on the season with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. He ranked in the top three in the league in nearly every offensive category.
Watkins, a senior from Petal, Mississippi, compiled a 10-3 record and a 3.26 ERA for the Lions this past season. He earned second team All-Southland Conference honors after becoming the first SLU pitcher since 1996 to win 10 games in a season.
Rymes hit .360 for LSU on the season and led the Tigers with 77 hits. The sophomore from Monroe finished the season with 18 doubles, three home runs, and 42 RBIs.
Jones was a freshman All-SEC selection for the Tigers after he hit .338 with 11 doubles, four homers, and 32 RBIs. The Richton, Miss. native earned SEC freshman of the week honors for the week of Feb. 28 after he hit .636 in four games from Feb. 22-27.
Musgraves coached the Pilots to a 47-15 record and a semifinal appearance in the NAIA World Series - falling to eventual national champion Concordia by an 8-4 score. The Pilots claimed the RRAC regular season title with a 26-4 conference record and was a perfect 4-0 in the RRAC Tournament to claim their fifth tournament title in the last six years.
Joining Mahtook, McCune and Rhymes on the first team were pitchers Watkins (SLU), Seth Webster (Nicholls), Jordan LeGros (McNeese State); first baseman Frazier Hall (Southern); second baseman Jordan Marks (Louisiana College); shortstop Jace Peterson (McNeese State); third baseman Mark Threlkeld (Louisiana Tech); catcher Jeremy Schaffer (Tulane); Rhymes at DH; outfield Seth Granger (McNeese State), Mike Petello (ULL), and Mahtook; and utility player Nick Schneeberger (Tulane).
The second team was compiled of pitchers Jordan Nicholson (ULL), Alex Facundus and Nick Pepitone (both of Tulane), and Scanio of Northwestern State; first baseman Kevin Smith (LSU Shreveport); second baseman Jones of LSU; shortstop Justin Boudreaux (SLU); third baseman R.J. Talamantes (Centenary); catcher Andrew Brouillette (LSU Shreveport); DH Kyle Pearson (LSU Shreveport); utility Cody Causey (LSU Shreveport); and outfielders Lee Orr (McNeese State), Colin Bear (Northwestern State), and Mason Katz (LSU).
McNeese State, Tulane, and LSU Shreveport followed LSU with four first and second team selections.
2011 All-Louisiana Baseball
Selected by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association
First Team
Pitchers - Tyler Watkins, SLU; Seth Webster, Nicholls; Jordan LeGros, McNeese State; Kurt McCune, LSU
First Base - Frazier Hall, Southern
Second Base - Jordan Marks, Louisiana College
Shortstop - Jace Peterson, McNeese State
Third Base - Mark Threlkeld, Louisiana Tech
Catcher - Jeremy Schaffer, Tulane
Outfield - Mikie Mahtook, LSU; Seth Granger, McNeese State; Mike Petello, ULL
DH - Raph Rhymes, LSU
Utility - Nick Schneeberger, Tulane
Hitter of the Year: Mikie Mahtook, LSU
Voting -- Mikie Mahtook, LSU, 18; Frazier Hall, Southern, 3; Kevin Smith, LSUS, 1; Jordan Marks, La. College, 1.
Pitcher of the Year: Tyler Watkins, SLU
Voting -- Tyler Watkins, SLU, 10; Seth Webster, Nicholls, 6; Kurt McCune, LSU, 3; Jordan LeGros, McNeese St., 2; Nick Pepitone, Tulane, 1; Jordan Nicholson, ULL, 1.
Newcomer of the Year: Raph Rhymes, LSU
Voting -- Raph Rhymes 11, Joe Scanio 5, Wilmy Marerro 2, Ronny Webber 2, Joey Rapp, ULM, 2; Nick Schneeberger, Tulane, 1.
Freshman of the Year: JaCoby Jones, LSU
Voting -- JaCoby Jones, LSU, 7; Alex Facundus, Tulane, 6; R.J. Talamantes, Centenary, 5; Ryan Gebhardt, La. Tech, 3; Jose DeLeon, Southern, 1; Cole Prejean, La. College, 1.
Coach of the Year: Rocke Musgraves, LSU Shreveport
Voting -- Rocke Musgraves, LSUS, 14; Jay Artigues, SLU, 3; Wade Simoneaux, La. Tech, 3; Mike Byrnes, La. College, 2; Seth Thibodeaux, Nicholls, 1.
Second Team
Pitchers - Jordan Nicholson, ULL; Alex Facundus, Tulane; Nick Pepitone, Tulane; Joe Scanio, Northwestern State
First Base - Kevin Smith, LSU Shreveport
Second Base - JaCoby Jones, LSU
Shortstop - Justin Boudreaux, SLU
Third Base - R.J. Talamantes, Centenary
Catcher - Andrew Brouillette, LSU Shreveport
Outfield - Lee Orr, McNeese State; Colin Bear, Northwestern State; Mason Katz, LSU
DH - Kyle Pearson, LSU Shreveport
Utility - Cody Causey, LSU Shreveport
Honorable Mention
Pitcher - Caleb Dudley, Louisiana Tech; Mike Jefferson, Louisiana Tech; Kevin Gausman, LSU; 1B - Joey Rapp, ULM; 2B - Brock Hebert, SLU; SS - Chase Jaramillo, Nicholls; Greg Fontenot, ULL; Chris Wolfe, Grambling; 3B - Tyler Hanover, LSU; C - Clint Ewing, Louisiana Tech; OF - Wilmy Marerro, Southern; Pete Rajkovich, Centenary; Chase Wentz, LSU Shreveport; Eldred Barnett, Grambling.
