FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – Junior Blake Booher (Hurst, Texas) was named West Region Pitcher of the Year by Rawlings and the American Baseball Coaches Association on Monday afternoon. Booher was just one of three Patriots named to the All-West Region First Team. Joining Booher was senior second baseman Clay Baker (Henderson, Texas) and junior pitcher Brett Holland (Lindale, Texas).
Booher, Baker and Holland are the first Patriots to be named to the First Team All-Region by the ABCA. All three UT Tyler players are now eligible to become All-Americans. The All-America teams will be revealed on May 23.
Booher, the ASC East Pitcher of the Year, finished his 2008 season with a record of 11-1, an ERA of 2.06 and 84 strikeouts, while Holland finished the year with 11 victories, 113 K’s and an ERA of 2.76. The 11 victories for each pitcher is an ASC single-season record.
Clay Baker also had outstanding 2008 season, as he batted .401 with 56 runs off of 79 hits, nine doubles, four triples, 10 homeruns and 47 RBIs. Baker joined teammates Joe Towns (Carrolton, Texas) and Kendall Fox (Carrollton, Texas) in batting .400 or better this season. Baker and Towns became the eighth and ninth Patriots to bat .400 or better in a single-season in the just five year history of the program. The 2008 season was Fox’s second time in his career to bat .400 plus in a season.
Junior catcher Jeremy Harding (Houston, Texas) and junior third baseman Joe Towns also received All-Region honors, earning spots on the Second Team. Outfielder Jared Hood (Marshall, Texas) rounded out the six Patriots on the list, receiving Third Team honors.
