BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Three University of South Alabama baseball student-athletes received all-Sun Belt Conference honors, as announced by the conference Tuesday.
Whitt Dorsey was selected first-team all-SBC as designated hitter, while Jarron Cito (starting pitcher) and Jordan Patterson (outfield) were named second-team all-SBC.
This season marks the first time the Jags have had three all-conference selections since 2007, when Jeff Cunningham (first base), David Doss (third base) and Joel Collins (catcher) earned all-conference honors.
Dorsey became the first Jaguar to earn first-team honors since David Doss in 2009, and is the first Jaguar designated hitter to be named all-conference since Doss earned all-league honors in his freshman season in 2007.
Cito is the first USA starting pitcher to earn all-conference honors since P.J. Walters in 2006, while Patterson’s selection marked the first time a Jag outfielder has been selected since Adam Heisler in 2009.
Dorsey led South Alabama with a .332 batting average, and recorded 12 doubles, two home runs and 29 RBI in 49 games this season. He hit .311 in 28 SBC games, with eight doubles, two homers and 24 RBI, and hit safely in his final seven conference contests. This season, the Auburn, Ala., native recorded 16 multiple-hit and eight multi-RBI games.
Cito went 7-4 with a 5.31 ERA in 13 starts this season, and recorded 65 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings pitched. He won six SBC games, which tied for first in the league. The right-hander tossed one complete game, and won four straight decisions in April.
Patterson batted .325 and led USA with 15 doubles, eight homers and 44 RBI. He also led the Jags in total bases (107), slugging percentage (.527) and on-base percentage (.430). Patterson finished eighth in the league in OBP and ninth in slugging percentage.
“I’m proud of those guys,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “They worked extremely hard. I’m sure they would tell you that without their teammates, none of that is possible. Unfortunately, they are individual awards but I think each of them would trade those awards to win a conference championship this weekend.”
South Alabama, the No. 4 seed in this year’s SBC Tournament, will square off with No. 5 Louisiana-Monroe Wednesday at 11 a.m.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
-USA-
ALL-SBC FIRST TEAM
Chance Cleveland (UALR, Jr., SP)
Jacob Lee (Arkansas State, Sr., SP)
Ryan Garton (Florida Atlantic, Sr., SP)
R.J. Alvarez (Florida Atlantic, Jr., RP)
Blake Johnson (UALR, Jr., C)
Logan Pierce (Troy, Jr., 1B)
Mike Albaladejo (Florida Atlantic, Sr., 2B)
Jeremy Sy (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., SS)
Mike Martinez (FIU, Sr., 3B)
Sean Bignall (UALR, Sr., OF)
Jabari Henry (FIU, Jr., OF)
Justin Guidry (Middle Tennessee, Sr., OF)
Whitt Dorsey (South Alabama, Jr., DH)
Myles Parma (UALR, Jr., UTIL)
2012 ALL-SBC SECOND TEAM
Randy Zeigler (Louisiana-Monroe, Jr., SP)
Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee, Fr., SP)
Jarron Cito (South Alabama, Jr., SP)
John Koch (Arkansas State, Jr., RP)
Mike Spano (Florida Atlantic, C, Jr.)
Joey Rapp (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., 1B)
Johnny Thomas (Middle Tennessee, Jr., 2B)
Dustin Jones (Arkansas State, So., SS)
Hank LaRue (Middle Tennessee, So., 3B)
Cameron Bentley (UALR, Sr., OF)
Pablo Bermudez (FIU, Jr., OF)
Jordan Patterson (South Alabama, So., OF)
Adam Kirsch (FIU, Jr., DH)
Scott Wilcox (WKU, So., UTIL)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jeremy Sy (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., SS)
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jacob Lee (Arkansas State, Sr., SP)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee, Fr., SP)
RON MAESTRI COACH OF THE YEAR
Tommy Raffo, Arkansas State
