Rhymes, Lopez honored
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — After two rounds of voting, 56 baseball student-athletes comprise the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s 17th Annual All-America first, second and third teams, as announced on Wednesday.
Among the 19 first-team selections are two players from the state of Louisiana —LSU outfielder Raph Rhymes and Southeastern Louisiana pitcher Stefan Lopez.
Lopez, a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award, set both the Southeastern and Southland Conference’s single-season (20) and career (30) saves records this season.
Rhymes, drafted 937th in the 30th round by the New York Yankees, finished the season with a school-record batting average of .431.Lopez, taken with the 517th overall pick, was taken in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball Draft last week by the Yankees.
LSU tops in attendance
LSU is No. 1 in the final 2012 college baseball attendance rankings, marking the 17th straight season in which the Tigers have led the nation in total attendance.
LSU posted an NCAA-record total attendance figure of 472,391 in 44 games this season in Alex Box Stadium, including 38 regular-season games, three NCAA regional games and three NCAA super regional contests.
The Tigers’ total attendance mark was more than 200,000 greater than second-place Arkansas (269,433).
NW State names coach
NATCHITOCHES — Mississippi State assistant coach Lane Burroughs, who has coached eight NCAA regional tournament teams and helped guide Northwestern State to the 1998 Southland Conference championship, is the Demons’ new head baseball coach, Northwestern State director of athletics Greg Burke said Wednesday.
Burroughs, 39, succeeds J.P. Davis, who resigned May 31. The hiring is subject to the approval of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. Burroughs will be introduced Monday.
LSU-E players honored
LSU-Eunice baseball players Dalton Herrington and Stuart Turner have earned postseason awards.
Herrington was a sophomore outfielder for LSU-E, which won the Division II National Junior College Athletic Association championship. He hit .350 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Turner, a sophomore catcher, was named the NJCAA Division II Defensive Player of the Year and to the Rawlings Gold Glove NJCAA Division team. Turner, a Eunice native, threw out 16 of 27 baserunners trying to steal. He made just three errors.
Delgado sophomore outfielder Sean McMullen earned honorable mention.