James Jurries Named C-USA Baseball Player of the Year

May 20, 2002

KINSTON, N.C. - On the heels of the most successful season of his illustrious collegiate career, Tulane University baseball standout James Jurries was named Conference USA Player of the Year Monday evening at the annual C-USA Baseball Tournament banquet.

In addition to earning league Player of the Year honors, Jurries was named to the conference's first team to become the first player in C-USA history to earn first-team all-league honors all four years. Jurries is joined on the first team by junior southpaw Nick Bourgeois, while sophomore relief pitcher Joey Charron, junior centerfielder Jon Kaplan and junior infielder/outfielder Aaron Feldman earned second-team honors, and rookie rightfielder Gerald Clark earned C-USA All-Freshman Team recognition.

"He's a consummate example of what you would want a student athlete to be," head coach Rick Jones said. "He's been a complete player for us no matter where we've played him defensively. Not only has he had a great year, but a great career. When you couple that with his classroom accomplishments, he personifies the ideals of a student-athlete. I feel fortunate to have coached him."

Jurries, a senior infielder from Lake Jackson, Texas, leads Tulane and Conference USA in home runs (19), runs scored (72), total bases (167), slugging percentage (.791) and on-base percentage (.510). He also leads the Green Wave with 15 doubles, four triples and 41 walks while ranking second in stolen bases with a career-best 27. Jurries' .412 batting average is tops on the club as well, ranking him third in the league, and he is on pace to become Tulane's first .400 hitter since 1985.

Earlier this season, Jurries was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy which is awarded to the best player in college baseball. He also earned District VI All-Academic recognition for his work in the classroom where he sports a cumulative 3.31 overall grade point average. The number increases to an impressive 3.77 mark in Tulane's prestigious A.B. Freeman School of Business. In the fall, Jurries earned Dean's List recognition with a 3.83 GPA in finance.

Bourgeois, meanwhile, leads the Tulane staff with a 3.02 ERA while tallying a team-best 10-2 record, 102 strikeouts and a .216 opponent batting average in 100.2 innings. His strikeout total ranks fourth in the league, and his 45 strikeouts looking ranks No. 2. At the end of the regular season, Bourgeois has not allowed an earned run in 17.2 consecutive innings, a string of three games that dates back to Friday, May 3.

Tulane's outfield tandem of Feldman and Kaplan rank second and third on the team in batting average with marks of .351 and .333, respectively. Kaplan leads the team and C-USA with 30 stolen bases, and is second on the squad with 56 runs and seventh in hits with 77. Feldman, who has played through most of the season with a hernia, is third on the Green Wave with 22 stolen bases, runs with 54 and hits with 68.

Charron, meanwhile, has been Tulane's top reliever and leads the team and the league with a career-best nine saves. In 52.0 innings of work, Charron has allowed opponents to score just 17 earned runs in 25 appearances while tallying a 2.94 ERA and a .251 opponent batting average. Because he does not average at least one inning pitched per team game, he is not eligible for the team or conference lead in most statistical categories.

Clark, the third Tulane outfielder to gain conference honors, has proven to be a powerful hitter throughout his redshirt-freshman season and ranks second on the team with 11 home run and a .573 slugging percentage. He has also shown a keen eye at the plate, drawing 37 walks and tallying a .458 on-base percentage.

The Green Wave return to action on Tuesday when they open conference tournament play against Southern Miss at 6:30 p.m. at Grainger Stadium. All of Tulane's games are broadcast live on the radio on WRBH, 88.3 FM, and are simulcast on the internet at www.tulanegreenwave.com.

2002 CONFERNCE USA AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR James Jurries, Tulane UniversityPITCHER OF THE YEAR Brad Sullivan, University of HoustonFRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Darryl Lawhorn, East Carolina UniversityCOACH OF THE YEAR Lelo Prado, University of Louisville
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCEINF  Jesse Crain         HoustonINF  James Jurries       TulaneINF  Darryl Lawhorn      East CarolinaINF  Brad Schutz         CincinnatiINF  Allen Winningham    Southern MissOF   Brett Cooley        HoustonOF   Jeff Cook           Southern MissOF   Mark Jurich         LouisvilleOF   Terry Trofholz      TCUC    Chris Snyder        HoustonDH   Joe List            CincinnatiP    Nick Bourgeois      TulaneP    Shea Douglas        Southern MissP    Corey Lawson        Saint LouisP    Brad Sullivan       HoustonRP   Jesse Crain         Houston
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCEINF  Jeff Baisley        South FloridaINF  Morgan Bojorquez    LouisvilleINF  Myron Leslie        South FloridaINF  Walter Olmstead     TCUINF  George Sandel       CharlotteOF   Michael Bourn       HoustonOF   Aaron Feldman       TulaneOF   Jon Kaplan          TulaneOF   Chris Meeks         TCUC    Chris Hamblen       CincinnatiDH   Ken Tirpack         LouisvilleP    Zach Jackson        LouisvilleP    Clayton Jerome      TCUP    Bob McCrory         Southern MissP    Sam Narron          East CarolinaRP   Joey Charron        Tulane
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM3B   Jeff Baisley        South FloridaOF   Gerald Clark        TulaneSS   Brent Dlugach       Memphis2B   Jarrett Hoffpauir   Southern MissC    Devin Ivany         South FloridaP    Zach Jackson        Louisville1B   Darryl Lawhorn      East Carolina2B   Stuart Musslewhite  HoustonP    Cliff Russum        Southern MissSS   Matt Shepherd       Southern MissC    Brad Willcutt       Southern Miss

James Jurries Named C-USA Baseball Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Nick Bourgeois

Joey Charron

Gerald Clark

Aaron Feldman

James Jurries

Jon Kaplan

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Tulane University Athletics

James Jurries Named C-USA Baseball Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Nick Bourgeois

Joey Charron

Gerald Clark

Aaron Feldman

James Jurries

Jon Kaplan

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