Evans Named to 2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference First Team
2/6/2018 12:16:00 PM | Baseball
Senior DH led Southland in batting average and ranked second in slugging percentage in 2017
Complete Southland Conference Release
FRISCO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin senior designated hitter Josh Evans was named a Preseason All-Southland Conference First Team selection it was announced by the league office via a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.
Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year was just one of the titles Evans earned during the 2017 campaign, his first with SFA. The product of Ponca City, Okla., wielded one of the best bats in the Southland Conference - and in the nation - by leading the 13-team league in battling average. For the year, Evans' slash line settled at .383/.440/.638 making him one of just two players in the Southland Conference who ranked among the top ten in battling average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
By belting a team-high 10 home runs, all of which aided him in racking up 38 RBI through 51 games played, Evans led the 'Jacks and ranked eighth in the Southland Conference in the league's final long ball tally. In all, 18 of Evans' 57 hits were of the extra-base variety helping his slugging percentage rank as the second-highest in the Southland and the 39th-best in the nation.
An All-Southland Conference First Team choice, Evans also became just the third player in program history to earn a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I South Central All-Region First Team after helping lead the 'Jacks to the Southland Conference Tournament for the second-straight season. With Evans' assistance, SFA finished with a 29-28 record in 2017 and recorded a sixth-place finish in the Southland with a 17-13 showing in league games.
Evans and the rest of his Lumberjack teammates are just 10 days removed from beginning the 2018 campaign down in Edinburg, Texas. SFA's first opponent of 2018 will be Central Michigan, with the 'Jacks and Chippewas set to kick off the Al Ogletree Classic at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium Friday, Feb. 16 at 3:00 p.m.
2018 Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference Baseball Teams
First Team
Hunter Strong | Central Arkansas | 1B | Jr. | Sheridan, Ark.
Joe Provenzano | McNeese | 2B | Sr. | Downers Grove, Ill.
Taylor Schwaner | Southeastern Louisiana | 3B | Sr. | Slidell, La.
Tyler Depreta-Johnson | Houston Baptist | SS | Sr. | Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
John Cable | New Orleans | C | Sr. | Roswell, Ga.
Josh Evans | Stephen F. Austin | DH | Sr. | Ponca City, Okla.
Shane Selman | McNeese | OF | Jr. | Lake Charles, La.
Clayton Harp | Sam Houston State | OF | Jr. | El Campo, Texas
Orynn Veillon | New Orleans | OF | Jr. | Lafayette, La.
Bryan Warzek | New Orleans | P | Jr. | Clifton Park, N.Y.
JT Newton | Houston Baptist | P | Jr. | Bangs, Texas
Corey Gaconi | Southeastern Louisiana | P | Jr. | Metaire, La.
Drew Avans | Southeastern Louisiana | Util. | Sr. | Alabaster, Ala.
Second Team
David Fry | Northwestern State | 1B | Sr. | Colleyville, Texas
Ethan Valdez | Nicholls | 2B | Jr. | San Antonio, Texas
Andrew Fregia | Sam Houston State | 3B | Jr. | Liberty, Texas
Ryan Gonzales | UIW | SS | Jr. | Corpus Christi, Texas
Luis Treino | Abilene Christian | C | Jr. | Mission, Texas
Robin Adames | Lamar | DH | Jr. | The Bronx, N.Y.
Hunter Hearn | Sam Houston State | OF | Jr. | Crosby, Texas
Dalton Stark | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | OF | Sr. | Cypress, Texas
Keaton Presley | Central Arkansas | OF | Sr. | Springfield, Mo.
Grant Anderson | McNeese | P | Jr. | Beaumont, Texas
Tyler Gray | Central Arkansas | P | Sr. | Fort Smith, Ark.
Hayden Wesneski | Sam Houston State | P | So. | Cypress, Texas
Grant Devore | Lamar | U | Sr. | Dallas, Texas
-SFA-
