Jason Sparks Named Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year
Jun 21, 1999 | Baseball
January 27, 1999
Sparks Named C-USA Preseason Player of the Year- Jan. 27, 1999
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane outfielder Jason Sparks has been named Conference USA's Preseason Player of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday.
Sparks, senior catcher Chad Sutter, and sophomore infielder Andy Cannizaro were selected to the preseason all-conference team. In a vote of league's coaches, Tulane, the defending C-USA regular season and tournament champions, is picked to finish second behind league favorite Houston.
Sparks, a senior who has also earned Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America honors, set the Tulane and C-USA single-season record for home runs with 30 last year. He recorded a .357 batting average and a school-record 90 RBIs in 1998.
Sutter, who joined Sparks on the Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America team, led Tulane last season with a .391 batting average. With 52 career home runs, he is just five homers shy of the Tulane career record. He hit 13 home runs with 61 RBIs a year ago.
Cannizaro started at shortstop last year as a freshman, when he recorded 38 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.
Tulane, ranked 25th in Colliegate Baseball's preseason poll, opens its 1999 season Feb. 12 on the road against San Diego State.
1999 C-USA PRESEASON POLL 1. Houston 2. TULANE 3. UNC Charlotte 4. South Florida 5. UNC Charlotte 6. Southern Miss 7. UAB 8. Memphis 9. Cincinnati 10. Saint Louis
PRESEASON C-USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jason Sparks, Tulane (Sr., Outfielder)
PRESEASON C-USA PITCHER OF THE YEAR Shane Nance, Houston (Jr., LHP)
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE USA Craig House, P, Sr., Memphis Shane Nance, P, Jr., Houston James McAuley, C, Jr., Louisville Daniel Boyd, IF, So., South Florida Andy Cannizaro, IF, So., Tulane Jason Hill, IF, Sr. UNC Charlotte Kris Wilken, IF, So., Houston Jeremy Albritton, OF, Sr., Southern Miss Mike Medrano, OF, Sr., Houston Jason Sparks, OF, Sr., Tulane Chad Sutter, C, Sr., Tulane
