2016 Collegiate Baseball Final Poll

TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of South Alabama baseball team closed the 2016 season ranked 26th in the final Collegiate Baseball poll, as announced by the organization.

USA finished with a 42-22 overall record, and went 21-9 in the Sun Belt Conference to earn the program's 16th league title. The Jaguars also reached the NCAA postseason for the 26th time in the program's history after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tallahassee (Fla.) Regional, where they reached the regional final before falling to host Florida State.

"It was a great year, and it was due to the hard work and sacrifice of the team, coaching staff and everyone involved with the program," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "This was a special group. We had great seniors who showed very good leadership. This was a great group to coach. I am so proud of these guys for what they accomplished this season, both on the field and in the classroom."

South Alabama led the SBC in fielding percentage (.979), which set a new program single-season record and ranked tied for ninth nationally. The Jags led the SBC in walks (330), which ranked seventh nationally and fifth all-time at USA. It was the most base on balls by a Jaguar team since the 1987 squad drew 366 walks in 70 games.

USA also lead the Sun Belt in stolen bases (107), which ranked eighth nationally. It marked the highest single-season stolen-base total by a Jaguar team during the Mark Calvi era and the most in a single season since the 2000 squad recorded 117 stolen bases in 60 contests. The Jags also led the SBC in RBI (337), runs scored (382) and sacrifice flies (32).

South Alabama led the SBC in innings pitched (573.1), ranked second in ERA (3.77), third in opposing batting average (.243) and runs allowed (279), and fourth in strikeouts (418), walks allowed (199) and hits allowed (515).

Center fielder Cole Billingsley led the league in stolen bases (31) for the second consecutive season, and also led the conference in sacrifice flies (8), at-bats (256) and total plate appearances (298). Billingsley earned his second American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Gold Glove Award in as many seasons after posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with five assists in 188 total chances this year. The Cropwell, Ala., native played his final 151 games at USA without committing an error, and made just one in his three-year playing career which came in his freshman season in 2013. Billingsley also earned first-team all-SBC honors and second-team all-South Central Region accolades for the second straight year. He was selected in the 19th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, and is currently playing with the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League.

Drew LaBounty finished with 59 walks, which led the league, ranked sixth nationally and is tied with Hugh Lopes for fourth on the Jaguar single-season record list. LaBounty also ranked second in the SBC in on-base percentage (.444) and sacrifice flies (7), tied for seventh in runs scored (47) and tied for eighth in RBI (43). The Pensacola, Fla., native was named first-team all-SBC, and is the first Jaguar shortstop to earn all-league honors since Brett Parker in 2003.

Travis Swaggerty was named a 2016 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Swaggerty led the team in batting average (.303), and was named to the NCAA Tallahassee (Fla.) All-Regional Team after hitting .412 with one double, one triple, one home run, two RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base in four games. The Mandeville, La., native became the 11th Jaguar to earn Freshman All-America honors in the program's 50-plus year history, and is the first since Logan Kirkland received second-team Freshman All-America accolades from Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2011. He became the first Jaguar outfielder to earn first-team Freshman All-America honors, and the first outfielder to earn the distinction since Adam Lind received second-team Freshman All-America accolades in 2003. Swaggerty joined Lind and Tim Merritt (1999) as the only Jaguar outfielders in program history to be named Freshman All-America.

Swaggerty ranked second in the SBC in stolen bases (20) and walks (42), third in on-base percentage (.431) and tied for seventh in runs scored (47). He also recorded four assists from right field, which ranked second among Jaguar outfielders. 

Right-hander Kevin Hill received Louisville Slugger first-team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball, and was a third-team All-America selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after leading the league in strikeouts (126) for the second straight season, which ranked ninth nationally, while also leading the conference in innings pitched (122.2). Hill became the first player in Sun Belt Conference history to twice earn the league's Pitcher of the Year award after being voted the top pitcher in the conference for the second straight year. In addition, Hill was named the SBC Male Student-Athlete of the Year as well as first-team all-SBC and first-team all-South Central Region. He was selected in the 25th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros, and is currently playing for the Tri-City Valley Cats of the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League. Hill finished his three-year career at USA ranked fourth in career strikeouts (326). Hill went 8-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 16 starts, and tossed four complete games while combining for one shutout.

Right-hander Randy Bell ranked third in the conference in opposing batting average (.212), fourth in ERA (2.45) and tied for fifth in wins (7). Bell went 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 16 appearances, 11 of which were starts, and tossed five complete games with 60 strikeouts against 20 walks in 88 1/3 innings pitched. The Woodville, Miss., native recorded one complete-game shutout while also combining for an additional shutout.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).