Honeck, Schaffer, Prince Garner All-Conference Honors
May 20, 2009 | Baseball
May 20, 2009
NEW ORLEANS- After putting up impressive numbers during the regular season, Tulane's Sam Honeck and Jeremy Schaffer were named First Team All-Conference USA Tuesday on the eve of the 2009 C-USA Baseball Championship, while junior shortstop Josh Prince received second team recognition. Schaffer was also named to the All-Freshman team.
Honeck, a first-team infielder recipient, leads the Green Wave in multiple batting categories, including home runs (16), slugging percentage (.668) and RBI (69). The team's three-hitter for the majority of the season, Honeck has been a reliable first baseman with a .981 fielding percentage in 515 chances.
Schaffer posted a .322 (62-195) average with 54 RBI and recording a .590 slugging percentage, tacking on seven doubles and two triples in addition to his 14 home runs at the conclusion of the regular season. Behind the dish, the Bellaire, Texas native has thrown out 16 would-be base stealers. Schaffer is the first true freshman to handle the majority of the catching duties at Tulane since All-American Chad Sutter. Schaffer was also named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List in addition to an invitation to the USA Baseball Team Trials.
Second-teamer Prince has had a breakout junior season with the club's shortstop batting a team-high .342 on the strength of 13 doubles, a team-high four triples and six home runs. The Sulphur, La. native has also tallied 31 RBI with a .535 slugging percentage. A Louisiana Sportswriters Association Player of the Week, Prince has stolen 43 bases on the year, placing him a top the national leader boards. He has been a steady defender, dazzling with his plays in the hole at short and his barehanded grabs to gun down batters.
Tulane now has at least one All C-USA member for the 14th consecutive year, giving the Green Wave a total of 48 first-team all-league members since the conference's inception in 1996. With the addition of Prince on the second-team, Tulane now has 70 all-league players overall.
Schaffer, meanwhile, becomes the 20th Tulane student-athlete to earn C-USA All-Freshman Team honors - making Tulane the only team in league history to have at least one rookie on the squad in all 14 years of the league's existence.
The Green Wave will open Conference USA Tournament play against Southern Miss Wednesday with first pitch slated for 7:30PM at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss.
2009 All-Conference USA Team
First Team
IF - Victor Gomez, So., Marshall
IF - Sam Honeck, Sr., Tulane
IF - Anthony Rendon, Fr., Rice
IF - Ryan Wood, Sr., East Carolina
OF - Stephen Batts, Sr., East Carolina
OF - Bo Davis, Sr., Southern Miss
OF - Brint Hardy, Sr., UAB
C - Jeremy Schaffer, Fr., Tulane
DH/UT - Kyle Roller, Jr., East Carolina
P - Ryan Berry, Jr., Rice
P - Chris Heston, Jr., East Carolina
P - Seth Maness, So., East Carolina
P - Todd McInnis, So., Southern Miss
RP - Donnie Joseph, Jr., Houston
Second Team
IF - Shane Brown, Jr., UCF
IF - Brian Dozier, Sr., Southern Miss
IF - Rick Hague, So., Rice
IF - Blake Kelso, So., Houston
IF - Josh Prince, Jr., Tulane
OF - Cody McMurry, Sr., UAB
OF - Chad Mozingo, So., Rice
OF - Brandon Romans, Sr., UCF
OF - Trent Whitehead, So., East Carolina
C - Chris Wallace, So., Houston
DH/UT - Digger Towe, Jr., UAB
P - Brad Mincey, So., East Carolina
P - Mike Ojala, Jr., Rice
P - Jared Ray, Jr., Houston
P - Dan Straily, Sr., Marshall
RP - Jordan Rogers, Sr., Rice
All-Freshman Team
- Kevin Brandt, LHP, East Carolina
- Michael Goodnight, RHP, Houston
- Drew Martinez, OF, Memphis
- Adam McClain, 2B, Memphis
- Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice
- Taylor Wall, LHP, Rice
- Kameron Brunty, OF, Southern Miss
- Jeremy Schaffer, C, Tulane
- Jamal Austin, OF, UAB
- D.J. Hicks, DH/UT, UCF
- Beau Taylor, Fr., UCF
C-USA Player of the Year
Anthony Rendon, Rice
C-USA Pitcher of the Year
Todd McInnis, Southern Miss
C-USA Newcomer of the Year
Chris Heston, RHP, East Carolina
C-USA Freshman of the Year
Anthony Rendon, Rice
Keith LeClair Coach of the Year
Billy Godwin, East Carolina
