Tubbs Named American Preseason Player of the Year

Memphis center fielder Darien Tubbs has been named as the American Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday in conjunction with the preseason all-conference team and preseason poll. Tubbs is joined by fellow-Tiger Nolan Blackwood on the preseason all-conference team.

"This is a very well-deserved honor with the year Darien (Tubbs) is coming off of," Memphis head coach Daron Schoenrock said. "It speaks volumes to the respect that he has gained throughout the league. As a coach it has been enjoyable to watch him grow and mature since his freshman year."

Tubbs had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2015, starting all 58 games in center field and in the lead off spot in the batting order. He was named to the all-conference second team after leading the Tigers with a .321 batting average, 75 hits, 57 runs scored and 24 stolen bases.

The Cookeville, Tenn., product had three separate double-digit hitting streaks during the season, including a season-best 14-game hitting streak from March 9 to March 28. Tubbs reached base in 31 straight contests during the year and managed to get on base in each of the first 53 games of the season, only failing to reach safely in the second game of the series against ECU. He finished the year by reaching in 56 of the 58 games.

His extra-base numbers and run production improved significantly from his freshman season, finishing with nine doubles, five triple and seven home runs with 38 RBI in 2015. Tubbs' .390 on base percentage was third on the team and his .491 slugging percentage ranked second.

Tubbs is one of three outfielders on the preseason all-conference team.

Blackwood set the program record for saves in a single season with 14 last year and finished with a microscopic 0.52 earned run average. He was named an NCBWA second-team All-American, becoming only the second Memphis pitcher to earn All-America honors.

"Nolan (Blackwood) has become one of the dominant relievers in the country. He has continued to develop and gotten stronger and with his unique delivery that he has it makes it a challenge for hitters to see in short spurts," Schoenrock said.

The Southaven, Miss., product moved to third all-time in school history with 17 career saves and finished with a 2-1 record in 34.2 innings of work over 25 appearances

Blackwood, who was also named a Louisville Slugger Pre-Season second team All-American, allowed only two runs during the season and opponents batted just .225 against him. He didn't allow a run in his first 13 appearances of the season.

He is the only reliever on the preseason all-conference team.

Memphis was picked to finish seventh in the American by a vote of the conference's eight head coaches. The Tigers didn't have any representatives on last season's preseason all-conference team.

"Preseason polls are based upon the quality of the people you lost. Nobody has really any idea of the newcomers you have on the roster yet. Based on what we did lose with last year's class we have a lot of holes to fill and a lot of challenges ahead of us," said Schoenrock.

2016 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Pos	Name			School	2015 Statistics
P	Cre Finfrock			UCF	7-5, 3.30 ERA, 95.1 IP, 73 K, 34 BB
P	Anthony Kay *			UConn	8-6, 2.07 ERA, 100.0 IP, 96 K, 25 BB
P	Andrew Lantrip *			Houston	9-3, 2.62 ERA, 113.1 IP, 115 K, 22 BB
P	Seth Romero *			Houston	7-4, 1.94 ERA, 83.1 IP, 92 K, 22 BB
P	Corey Merrill			Tulane	5-6, 2.12 ERA, 102.0 IP, 81 K, 43 BB
RP	Nolan Blackwood			Memphis	2-1, 0.52 ERA, 14 SV
C	Levi Borders			USF	.291, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 14 2B
1B	Bobby Melley *			UConn	.315, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 19 2B
2B	Josh Vidales			Houston	.300, 2 HR, 39 RBI, .987 FLD%
3B	Willy Yahn			UConn	.343, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 4 SB
SS	Stephen Alemais *			Tulane	.312, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 27 SB
OF	Jack Sundberg *			UConn	.288, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 33 SB
OF	Darien Tubbs *			Memphis	.321, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 24 SB
OF	Luke Maglich			USF	.308, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 15 SB
DH	Joe DeRoche-Duffin			UConn	.271, 11 HR, 39 RBI

	* unanimous selection

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
OF		Darien Tubbs		Memphis	.321, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 24 SB

PRESEASON PITCHERS OF THE YEAR
LHP		Anthony Kay		UConn	8-6, 2.07 ERA, 100.0 IP, 96 K, 25 BB
LHP		Seth Romero		Houston	7-4, 1.94 ERA, 83.1 IP, 92 K, 22 BB

2016 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL
			Team (First-Place Votes)			Points
1.			Houston (6)			48
2.			Tulane (1)			41
3.			East Carolina			38
4.			UConn (1)			32
5.			USF			26
6.			UCF			17
7.			Memphis			14
8.			Cincinnati			8

University of Memphis Athletics

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