RICHARDSON, Texas – East Texas Baptist sophomore
Ben Lea claimed Player of the Year and teammate senior
Sayers Collins repeated as Pitcher of the Year to highlight the 2023 American Southwest Conference baseball awards and all-conference teams as selected by vote of coaches.
Lea, an outfielder, leads the ASC with a .434 batting average, totaling 66 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, and is the national leader with 22 home runs. The outfielder has driven in 52 runs and scored 57 which are top two in the league. Lea has slugged .974 and boasts a fielding percentage of .86 thanks to 68 put outs, four assists, and one error.
Collins anchored the Tigers rotation all season leading to a regular season title and eventually the program’s first tournament title. In 13 starts, Collins posted a 10-2 record with a 2.25 ERA through 80 innings. He struck out 113 with the next highest in the league at 86. Collins also had a league-leading .182 opposing batting average.
Concordia Texas freshman infielder
Julian Swift was named Freshman of the Year. Swift finished in the top five in total hits in the conference with 61. Swift posted 12 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 33 RBI, 32 runs, and was 4-for-5 in stolen bases. His teammate
Chris Morrow earned Newcomer of the Year. Morrow finished fourth in the conference with 48 RBI. He batted .358 average with 57 hits, 12 doubles, a triple and eight home runs to go with 30 runs scored.
Mary Hardin-Baylor junior infielder
Rhett Grosz was voted Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year.
East Texas Baptist earned Coaching Staff of the Year for the fourth time. Lead by head coach
Jared Hood, the Tigers captured their first ASC Baseball Championship after winning five straight elimination games and enter the national tournament with a 35-11 record. ETBU also won the regular season title behind a 24-3 mark. Forming Hood’s staff includes: Tanner Matthews, Tyler Bates, Andrew Loudermilk, and Casey Combs.
2023 American Southwest Conference All-Conference Baseball
Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Ben Lea, East Texas Baptist
Pitcher of the Year: Sayers Collins
2, East Texas Baptist
Freshman of the Year: Julian Swift, Concordia Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Chris Morrow, Concordia Texas
Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year: Rhett Grosz, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Coaching Staff of the Year: East Texas Baptist; Jarred Hood (HC)
4, Tanner Matthews, Tyler Bates, Andrew Loudermilk, Casey Combs
| 2 Two-time Pitcher of the Year |
|
|
4 Four-time Coaching Staff of the Year
First Team
| C |
Austin Barry 2 |
Sr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Houston, Texas |
| 1B |
Chris Morrow |
Jr. |
Concordia Texas |
Robinson, Texas |
| 2B |
Andrew Skivington 2 |
Sr. |
UT Dallas |
Tomball, Texas |
| 3B |
Jacob Evangelista |
Jr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Spring, Texas |
| SS |
Colby Seltzer |
Sr. |
Hardin-Simmons |
Haslet, Texas |
| OF |
Ben Lea |
So. |
East Texas Baptist |
Sugar Land, Texas |
| OF |
Dane Jones 3 |
Jr. |
LeTourneau |
Keller, Texas |
| OF |
Tye Lindsey 3 |
Sr. |
Sul Ross State |
Round Rock, Texas |
| OF |
Brett Wagner 2 |
Sr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Lake Jackson, Texas |
| DH |
Jordan Hara |
Gr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Aiea, Hawaii |
| UT |
Riley Hood |
So. |
McMurry |
Abilene, Texas |
| SP |
Sayers Collins 3 |
Gr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Frisco, Texas |
| SP |
Otto Franz 3 |
Jr. |
Concordia Texas |
Austin, Texas |
| SP |
Andrew Acierni 2 |
Jr. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Waco, Texas |
| RP |
Noah Kelly |
Jr. |
Concordia Texas |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
| RP |
Kenny Garza 2 |
Jr. |
UT Dallas |
League City, Texas |
Second Team
| C |
Kayden Kelley |
So. |
Howard Payne |
Weatherford, Texas |
| 1B |
Jase Jones 2 |
Gr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Mt. Enterprise, Texas |
| 2B |
Primo Vasquez |
So. |
Sul Ross State |
El Paso, Texas |
| 3B |
Gannon Azios 2 |
Jr. |
Hardin-Simmons |
Cedar Park, Texas |
| SS |
Joey Villarreal |
Gr. |
Howard Payne |
League City, Texas |
| OF |
Julian Swift |
Fr. |
Concordia Texas |
Cedar Park, Texas |
| OF |
Tristan Karels 2 |
Sr. |
Sul Ross State |
Humble, Texas |
| OF |
Zach Seigrist |
So. |
Concordia Texas |
Beaumont, Texas |
| OF |
Taber Childs |
Fr. |
Ozarks |
Marshall, Texas |
| DH |
Grayson Coltharp |
So. |
UT Dallas |
Allen, Texas |
| UT |
Julian Swift |
Fr. |
Concordia Texas |
Cedar Park, Texas |
| SP |
Ryan Vera |
Gr. |
UT Dallas |
Friendswood, Texas |
| SP |
Caidon Livingston |
So. |
Hardin-Simmons |
Lorena, Texas |
| SP |
Dakota Palmer |
So. |
Concordia Texas |
Needville, Texas |
| SP |
Brayden Ferrie |
So. |
Howard Payne |
Rowlett, Texas |
| RP |
Jake Lancaster |
Fr. |
Concordia Texas |
Spring, Texas |
| RP |
Robert Croft |
Fr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Cypress, Texas |
Third Team
| C |
Cameron Pfafman 2 |
Sr. |
LeTourneau |
Santa Clarita, Calif. |
| C |
Brice Cagle |
So. |
Ozarks |
Sherwood, Ark. |
| 1B |
Carsen Thor 2 |
Jr. |
Sul Ross State |
Tomball, Texas |
| 2B |
Aaron Gomez |
Jr. |
Concordia Texas |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
| 2B |
Luke Kirkbride 2 |
So. |
Hardin-Simmons |
Denison, Texas |
| 3B |
Matthew Armes |
Jr. |
Concordia Texas |
Waco, Texas |
| SS |
Keagan Vance 2 |
Sr. |
UT Dallas |
Houston, Texas |
| OF |
Tanner Benson |
So. |
Howard Payne |
Frisco, Texas |
| OF |
Nick Massarini |
So. |
East Texas Baptist |
Richmond, Texas |
| OF |
Cole Thompson |
Sr. |
LeTourneau |
Kilgore, Texas |
| OF |
Luke Finn |
Jr. |
UT Dallas |
Lucas, Texas |
| DH |
Dru Didway 2 |
Sr. |
Ozarks |
Sallisaw, Okla. |
| UT |
Daniel Zamora 2 |
Gr. |
UT Dallas |
Austin, Texas |
| SP |
Grant Mitzelfelt 2 |
Jr. |
Hardin-Simmons |
Round Rock, Texas |
| SP |
Hayden Robichaux |
Fr. |
East Texas Baptist |
Southlake, Texas |
| SP |
Gage Cobb |
Fr. |
Sul Ross State |
Lubbock, Texas |
| RP |
Nicklas Fenner 2 |
So. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Canton, Texas |
| RP |
Jagger Neely 2 |
So. |
East Texas Baptist |
Montgomery, Texas |
Honorable Mention
| C |
Austin Naim |
Jr. |
|
UT Dallas |
Keller, Texas |
| C |
Elijah Rodriguez |
Fr. |
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Bayton, Texas |
| C |
Michael Smosna |
Fr. |
|
McMurry |
Lubbock, Texas |
| C |
Matthew Wheeler |
Sr. |
|
Sul Ross State |
Austin, Texas |
| 1B |
Robert Hines |
Jr. |
|
UT Dallas |
Garland, Texas |
| 1B |
Seth Bowman |
So. |
|
Howard Payne |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2B |
Carson Wilson 3 |
Jr. |
|
East Texas Baptist |
Sugar Land, Texas |
| 3B |
Isaac Price |
Jr. |
|
Ozarks |
Siloam Springs, Ark. |
| 3B |
Josh Dyer 2 |
Jr. |
|
McMurry |
Albany, Texas |
| 3B |
Dylan Bivins |
Jr. |
|
UT Dallas |
Denton, Texas |
| 3B |
Taylor Kubosh |
Fr. |
|
Sul Ross State |
Richmond, Texas |
| SS |
Rhett Grosz |
Jr. |
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Hewitt, Texas |
| SS |
Blake Beach 2 |
Jr. |
|
McMurry |
Atascocita, Texas |
| SS |
Jake Miller 2 |
Gr. |
|
East Texas Baptist |
North Richland Hills, Texas |
| SS |
Lane Williams |
Sr. |
|
LeTourneau |
Magnolia, Texas |
| SS |
Ethan Cash |
So. |
|
Ozarks |
Maumelle, Ark. |
| OF |
Jackson Baker |
Jr. |
|
Ozarks |
Sherwood, Ark. |
| OF |
Jaeger Self |
So. |
|
UT Dallas |
Krugerville, Texas |
| OF |
Kaden DeBerardinis 2 |
Jr. |
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Conroe, Texas |
| OF |
Koy Carpenter 2 |
So. |
|
McMurry |
La Vernia, Texas |
| OF |
Nick Ellington |
So. |
|
Hardin-Simmons |
Mansfield, Texas |
| OF |
Aaron Morales |
So. |
|
Sul Ross State |
El Paso, Texas |
| OF |
Karson Leatherwood |
Fr. |
|
Hardin-Simmons |
Lubbock, Texas |
| OF |
Casey Turner |
So. |
|
McMurry |
Kingwood, Texas |
| OF |
Carter Amarantos |
Jr. |
|
LeTourneau |
Kingwood, Texas |
| OF |
Tyler Betts |
Fr. |
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Round Rock, Texas |
| OF |
William Burford 2 |
So. |
|
Howard Payne |
Sugar Land, Texas |
| DH |
Hayden Guerin |
So. |
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Mansfield, Texas |
| DH |
Mateo Saenz |
Jr. |
|
Sul Ross State |
San Diego, Texas |
| DH |
Nolan Scherencel |
So. |
|
McMurry |
Arlington, Texas |
| DH |
Landon Prestage |
So. |
|
Howard Payne |
Gainesville, Texas |
| UT |
Andrew Klingenstein |
So. |
|
LeTourneau |
Flower Mound, Texas |
| UT |
Kayden Kelley |
Fr. |
|
Howard Payne |
Crawford, Texas |
| UT |
Cole Clark |
Jr. |
|
Ozarks |
Clarksville, Ark. |
| SP |
Peyton Miller |
Sr. |
|
East Texas Baptist |
Nederland, Texas |
| SP |
Cooper Marshall |
Fr. |
|
McMurry |
Boerne, Texas |
| SP |
Bryson Morrill |
So. |
|
McMurry |
Trophy Club, Texas |
| SP |
Bryce Farlander |
Fr. |
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Plano, Texas |
| SP |
Josh Ropple |
Sr. |
|
Ozarks |
Copperas Cove, Texas |
| SP |
Isaac Pelts |
So. |
|
Ozarks |
Lamar, Ark. |
| RP |
Cade Watson |
Jr. |
|
Sul Ross State |
Elgin, Texas |
| RP |
Zac Schneider |
Jr. |
|
LeTourneau |
Houston, Texas |
| RP |
Caleb Vuono |
Jr. |
|
UT Dallas |
Lewisville, Texas |
| RP |
Jaydon Stephens 2 |
So. |
|
Hardin-Simmons |
Roswell, N.M. |
| RP |
Bryson Adare |
Jr. |
|
Howard Payne |
Bastrop, Texas |
| RP |
Travis Beauchamp 2 |
Sr. |
|
McMurry |
Waco, Texas |
| RP |
Caleb Smith 2 |
So. |
|
Hardin-Simmons |
Stephenville, Texas |
| RP |
Ian Craigie |
Sr. |
|
Sul Ross State |
Pflugerville, Texas |
| RP |
Adam Trevino |
So. |
|
McMurry |
Galveston, Texas |
2 Two-time All-Conference
3 Three-time All-Conference