University of Memphis Athletics
Fraser, Huelsing, Martinez and Zurcher Named Second All-C-USA
May 25, 2010 | Baseball
May 25, 2010
HOUSTON - University of Memphis baseball players Ryan Fraser, Tyler Huelsing, Drew Martinez and Chad Zurcher were each named Second Team All Conference USA performers, the league announced today. The four-man selection marks the second time since 2007 that four players have earned postseason recognition. Voting was done by a panel consisting of each head coach, each team's sports information director and a media representative from each city.
Fraser, a three-time C-USA Pitcher of the Week honoree, earned C-USA All-Academic honors on Monday. The Cleveland, Tenn., native leads Memphis and is second in C-USA with 93 strikeouts--the most by a Tiger pitcher since Derek Hankins fanned 114 in 2004. He also ranks among the league's top three hurlers with 88.1 innings pitches. Fraser, who has been named Memphis's starter for Wednesday's matchup versus Southern Miss, is 7-3 on the year with two complete-game performances.
Huelsing has enjoyed an explosive senior campaign for the Memphis offense. A two-time C-USA Hitter of the Week selection, Huelsing has posted career numbers en route to helping the Tigers to its first C-USA Championship appearance since 2007. The Munford, Tenn., native leads the U of M offense and ranks in the top-10 in Conference USA with 134 total bases, 81 hits and 65 RBI. His 65 RBI ranks as the third most on Memphis's single-season ledger. Huelsing bats .351, with a team-best 11 home runs. He also has scored 52 runs, while recording 16 doubles. Huelsing ranks in Memphis' career top-10 with 132 RBI and 41 doubles.
The league's leader with 96 hits, Martinez earns C-USA postseason honors for the second consecutive season. The Tiger's leadoff hitter was tabbed a C-USA All-Freshman performer in 2009. Martinez has started in centerfield in all 55 games this season and ranks among the league's top hitters with a .389 batting average, 60 runs scored, 19 stolen bases and four triples.
Like Fraser, Zurcher was tabbed an All-Academic performer on Monday. The redshirt sophomore has started in all 52 games he has played in, while leading the club and ranking fourth in the league with a .396 batting average. His 86 hits are fourth-most in the league, while his 19 stolen bases are tied for third. Zurcher has posted 48 runs, legged out 12 doubles and stroked five home runs.
One year after becoming the first Freshman to be named Player of the Year, Rice sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon joins Tulane's Jake Gautreau (2000, 2001) as just the second player in C-USA history to be named Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
East Carolina junior right-hander Seth Maness was named the league's Pitcher of the Year, while Newcomer of the Year honors went to ECU junior right-hander Zach Woods, the third straight year that a Pirate pitcher has grabbed that honor. UCF infielder Chris Taladay was named Freshman of the Year, the first individual award for the Knights since beginning play in the league in 2006. The Keith LeClair Coach of the Year award went to Rice head coach Wayne Graham for the fourth time in five years. The award that is named for the former East Carolina skipper who courageously battled ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) before his passing in 2006.
Regular season champion Rice had the most total All-Conference selections with seven, followed by East Carolina, Memphis and Southern Miss with four. Southern Miss had the most first team choices with four, followed by Marshall with three. Seven of the league's nine teams had at least one representative on the first team. Tulane and UCF led the way with three selections apiece to the All-Freshman team, which included at least one player from eight schools.
Memphis will battle Southern Miss is the first game of the 2010 C-USA Championship on Wed., May 26. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Houston's Cougar Field.
2010 CONFERENCE USA BASEBALL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Rendon, So., 3B, Rice
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Seth Maness, Jr., RHP, East Carolina
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Chris Taladay, Fr., IF, UCF
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Zach Woods, Jr., RHP, East Carolina
KEITH LECLAIR COACH OF THE YEAR
Wayne Graham, Rice
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Anthony Rendon, So., Rice
IF Rob Segedin, So., Tulane
IF Luke Stewart, Sr., UAB
IF B.A. Vollmuth, So., Southern Miss
OF Shane Brown, Sr., UCF
OF Chris Duffy, Sr., UCF
OF Kurt Lipton, Sr., Marshall
C Victor Gomez, Jr., Marshall
DH/UT Kyle Roller, Sr., East Carolina
P Scott Copeland, Sr., Southern Miss
P Seth Maness, Jr., East Carolina
P Todd McInnis, Jr., Southern Miss
P Arik Sikula, Jr., Marshall
RP Collin Cargill, Jr., Southern Miss
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Jimmy Comerota, Sr., Rice
IF Rick Hague, Jr., Rice
IF Jonathan Merritt, Sr., UAB
IF Corey Thompson, So., East Carolina
IF Chad Zurcher, So., Memphis
OF Jamal Austin, So., UAB
OF Tyler Huelsing, Sr., Memphis
OF Drew Martinez, So. Memphis
C Diego Seastrunk, Sr., Rice
DH/UT Jeremy Rathjen, So., Rice
P Ryan Fraser, Sr., Memphis
P Mike Ojala, Sr., Rice
P Taylor Wall, So., Rice
P Zach Woods, Jr., East Carolina
RP Nick Pepitone, Jr., Tulane
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Brandon Boudreaux, OF, Tulane
Garrett Cannizaro, SS, Tulane
M.P. Cokinos, C/DH, Houston
Blake Crohan, UT, Tulane
Dillon Day, OF, Southern Miss
John Frost, UT, UAB
Kirby Pellant, 2B, Marshall
Michael Ratterree, 2B, Rice
Joe Rogers, LHP, UCF
Darnell Sweeney, SS, UCF
Chris Taladay, IF, UCF
John Wooten, SS, East Carolina
