May 29, 2008

Three Conference USA players were named to the 2008 Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball All-American team, it was announced by the publication on Thursday. Tulane pitcher Shooter Hunt was named as a second team All-American, while East Carolina pitcher Seth Maness and UAB first baseman Ryan Keedy were each named to the third team.

Hunt became the first Tulane hurler since Josh Bobbitt in 1998 to be named Conference USA Pitcher of the Year. He is 9-3 on the year with a 2.45 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .156 average. Hunt ranks third in the nation in strikeouts with 119 Ks in 2008, becoming the fourth Tulane hurler in as many years to eclipse the 100-K mark in a season. In addition, Hunt ranks third in the NCAA in hits allowed per nine innings (4.52), fourth in total strikeouts, 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (111.55), 15th in wins and 19th in ERA. Since joining the Green Wave prior to the 2007 season, Hunt is a combined 14-9 with a sparkling 2.54 ERA and a .197 opponent batting average. Hunt has started 28 of the 29 games he has appeared in during his Tulane career, during which time he has posted a 10.50 strikeout-per-nine-inning average and a 2.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio after fanning 223 batters and walking just 81 in 191.1 innings. He was the only player to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors three times this season.

Maness, a righthander, was named C-USA Freshman of the Year after tying for the league lead in wins. He is 9-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 77 strikeouts with just 18 walks in 91 innings pitched. Maness is just the second freshmen in East Carolina history to win nine games. He won six consecutive starts from March 1-April 5 and won his first eight decisions at ECU before falling to Tulane on May 9. Maness had two games in which he did not allow a run and five outings in which he surrender one or no walks.

Keedy becomes the fourth Blazer all-time to be named an All-American after posting the third highest single-season batting average in school history this past season and fourth highest in Conference USA history (.423). He joins Jay Cole (1994), Shayne Carnes (1998) and Mitch Jones (2000) as All-America selections from UAB. Keedy set the UAB school record for doubles in a single-season with 29 and tied a school record with 99 hits in 2008, while also finishing with 69 RBI to rank fifth all-time at UAB. He had 46 walks to help him boast an on base percentage of .519, which is the second highest figure in Conference USA history. Current Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis (Cincinnati) held a .549 on base percentage in 2001 to set the league superlative.