NCBWA Preseason All-Americans

DALLAS – University of South Alabama outfielder Travis Swaggerty was named 2018 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason first-team All-America the organization announced Monday.

Swaggerty was one of four outfielders selected to the first team, and is the lone Sun Belt Conference representative among the three preseason All-America teams announced by the NCBWA.

The Mandeville, La., native also earned preseason first-team All-America honors from Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings, and was a third-team preseason All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball.

Swaggerty was a second-team All-American selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings last season, as well as a first-team all-region and first-team all-SBC selection, after leading the conference in on-base percentage (.484) – which ranked 12th nationally – RBI (60) and runs scored (55), ranked second in batting average (.363) and total bases (125), and fourth in stolen bases (19).

He played in 19 games for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team over the summer, making him just the third Jaguar behind Mike Fischer (1997) and Tim Merritt (2000) in the program's 50-plus year history to earn the distinction. Swaggerty ranked second on Team USA in hits (21) and OBP (.449). He finished third in stolen bases (6) and batting average (.328) while helping Team USA to a 15-5 record over 20 contests.

Swaggerty was selected as the SBC Preseason Player of the Year as well as preseason all-SBC by the league's coaches.

No. 17 South Alabama will open the 2018 season Fri., Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. (CT) against Kansas State in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

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

Join the Dugout Club, the baseball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/dugoutclub.