Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Delgado named to All Conference-USA team
5/24/2016 5:02:00 PM | Baseball
Benefield earns spot on All-Freshman team
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee placed one player on the Conference USA All-Conference team and another on the All-Freshmen team, as the league's baseball awards were announced Tuesday.
Stellar shortstop Riley Delgado earned a spot on the All-Conference USA second team following a banner year as Middle Tennessee's shortstop. True freshman left fielder Blake Benefield earned a spot on the league's 11-member All-Freshman team after turning in one of the top power seasons in the conference.
"It is very encouraging to know you have two offensive guys who are coming off of very good years and you can build your team around them from that standpoint," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jim McGuire said. "(Delgado) was our leadoff hitter and (Benefield) hit in the four-hole and those positions should be an offensive catalyst of your team from the standpoint of where they are in the lineup."
Delgado started every game at shortstop and hit leadoff in each contest. He was second in C-USA in batting (.388), led the league in on-base percentage (.492) and was fourth in hits (80).
"This is a very big honor and very well deserved for Riley," McGuire said. "I really feel like he's one of the best players in the league whether you are talking about infielders or outfielders. The infield group in C-USA this year may very well be the best since we have been in the league. For Riley to be in that group is an elite honor for him, and for us."
Delgado led Middle Tennessee in multi-hit games with 26, including nine with three or more hits. He also had a 14-game hit streak and a streak of reaching base 23 consecutive games, both team highs.
"Riley's individual performance the entire year was right up there with the top four or five I have seen since I have been (at Middle Tennessee)," McGuire said. "Consistency is the best way to put it. He was definitely our MVP in terms of what he brought to the table every day. It was an outstanding season."
Benefield also had a smashing breakthrough season. The Murfreesboro native led Middle Tennessee in home runs (8), RBI (32), doubles (15) and slugging percentage (.492). His .286 batting average was fourth on the squad.
Benefield also was among C-USA leaders, regardless of class. He was ninth in C-USA for home runs and 11th for doubles.
"Blake exceeded our expectations from a power, extra-base hits, leading us in RBIs standpoint," McGuire said. "I don't think we would have predicted that when the season started. Did we expect him to be a big contributor? Yes, but to put up those numbers is pretty special."
Benefield played his best down the stretch. He was one of the team's top hitters over the last five weeks and became one of the Blue Raiders' most potent producers in the middle of the order as he was moved into the clean-up role.
"The last five weeks was a culmination of a lot of things Blake worked on to become a better, more consistent player," McGuire said. "The last three or four weeks he was one of our top players coming down the stretch."
2016 CONFERENCE USA BASEBALL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CJ Chatham, Jr., SS, Florida Atlantic
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jon Duplantier, Jr., RHP, Rice
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ford Proctor, Fr., SS, Rice
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Tommy Lane, Jr., 1B, Marshall
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CJ Chatham, Jr., SS, Florida Atlantic
KEITH LECLAIR COACH OF THE YEAR
Jeff Waggoner, Marshall
ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
Tim Donnelly, Marshall
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF CJ Chatham, Jr., Florida Atlantic
IF Danny Hudzina, Sr., WKU
IF Tommy Lane, Jr., Marshall
IF Tim Lynch, Sr., Southern Miss
OF Dylan Burdeaux, Jr., Southern Miss
OF Jake Sandlin, Sr., Southern Miss
OF DJ Gee, Sr., Marshall
C Chuckie Robinson, Jr., Southern Miss
DH/UT Kaleb Duckworth, So., WKU
SP Chase Boster, Sr., Marshall
SP Jon Duplantier, Jr., Rice
SP Kirk McCarty, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Casey Sutton, Jr., Louisiana Tech
RP Glenn Otto, So., Rice
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Riley Delgado, Jr., Middle Tennessee
IF Brett Netzer, So., Charlotte
IF Logan Sherer, Jr., Charlotte
IF Ford Proctor, Fr., Rice
OF Corey Bird, Jr., Marshall
OF Connor Myers, Sr., Old Dominion
OF T.J. Nichting, Jr., Charlotte
C Zack Soria, Jr., FIU
DH/UT Jonathan Washam, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Cord Cockrell, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Brandon Rhodes, Sr., Florida Atlantic
SP Ricardo Salinas, So., Rice
SP Sam Sinnen, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Marc Stewart, So., Florida Atlantic
RP Cameron Ragsdale, Jr., Florida Atlantic
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
IF Bryan Arias, UTSA
SS Ford Proctor, Rice
C Tyler Frank, Florida Atlantic
OF Blake Benefield, Middle Tennessee
OF Reece Hampton, Charlotte
OF Brewer Hicklen, UAB
DH Dominic DiCaprio, Rice
DH Hunter Slater, Southern Miss
LHP Nick Swan, Florida Atlantic
LHP Joshua Shapiro, Marshall
RHP Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss
Stellar shortstop Riley Delgado earned a spot on the All-Conference USA second team following a banner year as Middle Tennessee's shortstop. True freshman left fielder Blake Benefield earned a spot on the league's 11-member All-Freshman team after turning in one of the top power seasons in the conference.
"It is very encouraging to know you have two offensive guys who are coming off of very good years and you can build your team around them from that standpoint," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jim McGuire said. "(Delgado) was our leadoff hitter and (Benefield) hit in the four-hole and those positions should be an offensive catalyst of your team from the standpoint of where they are in the lineup."
Delgado started every game at shortstop and hit leadoff in each contest. He was second in C-USA in batting (.388), led the league in on-base percentage (.492) and was fourth in hits (80).
"This is a very big honor and very well deserved for Riley," McGuire said. "I really feel like he's one of the best players in the league whether you are talking about infielders or outfielders. The infield group in C-USA this year may very well be the best since we have been in the league. For Riley to be in that group is an elite honor for him, and for us."
Delgado led Middle Tennessee in multi-hit games with 26, including nine with three or more hits. He also had a 14-game hit streak and a streak of reaching base 23 consecutive games, both team highs.
"Riley's individual performance the entire year was right up there with the top four or five I have seen since I have been (at Middle Tennessee)," McGuire said. "Consistency is the best way to put it. He was definitely our MVP in terms of what he brought to the table every day. It was an outstanding season."
Benefield also had a smashing breakthrough season. The Murfreesboro native led Middle Tennessee in home runs (8), RBI (32), doubles (15) and slugging percentage (.492). His .286 batting average was fourth on the squad.
Benefield also was among C-USA leaders, regardless of class. He was ninth in C-USA for home runs and 11th for doubles.
"Blake exceeded our expectations from a power, extra-base hits, leading us in RBIs standpoint," McGuire said. "I don't think we would have predicted that when the season started. Did we expect him to be a big contributor? Yes, but to put up those numbers is pretty special."
Benefield played his best down the stretch. He was one of the team's top hitters over the last five weeks and became one of the Blue Raiders' most potent producers in the middle of the order as he was moved into the clean-up role.
"The last five weeks was a culmination of a lot of things Blake worked on to become a better, more consistent player," McGuire said. "The last three or four weeks he was one of our top players coming down the stretch."
2016 CONFERENCE USA BASEBALL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CJ Chatham, Jr., SS, Florida Atlantic
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jon Duplantier, Jr., RHP, Rice
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ford Proctor, Fr., SS, Rice
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Tommy Lane, Jr., 1B, Marshall
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CJ Chatham, Jr., SS, Florida Atlantic
KEITH LECLAIR COACH OF THE YEAR
Jeff Waggoner, Marshall
ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
Tim Donnelly, Marshall
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF CJ Chatham, Jr., Florida Atlantic
IF Danny Hudzina, Sr., WKU
IF Tommy Lane, Jr., Marshall
IF Tim Lynch, Sr., Southern Miss
OF Dylan Burdeaux, Jr., Southern Miss
OF Jake Sandlin, Sr., Southern Miss
OF DJ Gee, Sr., Marshall
C Chuckie Robinson, Jr., Southern Miss
DH/UT Kaleb Duckworth, So., WKU
SP Chase Boster, Sr., Marshall
SP Jon Duplantier, Jr., Rice
SP Kirk McCarty, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Casey Sutton, Jr., Louisiana Tech
RP Glenn Otto, So., Rice
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Riley Delgado, Jr., Middle Tennessee
IF Brett Netzer, So., Charlotte
IF Logan Sherer, Jr., Charlotte
IF Ford Proctor, Fr., Rice
OF Corey Bird, Jr., Marshall
OF Connor Myers, Sr., Old Dominion
OF T.J. Nichting, Jr., Charlotte
C Zack Soria, Jr., FIU
DH/UT Jonathan Washam, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Cord Cockrell, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Brandon Rhodes, Sr., Florida Atlantic
SP Ricardo Salinas, So., Rice
SP Sam Sinnen, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Marc Stewart, So., Florida Atlantic
RP Cameron Ragsdale, Jr., Florida Atlantic
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
IF Bryan Arias, UTSA
SS Ford Proctor, Rice
C Tyler Frank, Florida Atlantic
OF Blake Benefield, Middle Tennessee
OF Reece Hampton, Charlotte
OF Brewer Hicklen, UAB
DH Dominic DiCaprio, Rice
DH Hunter Slater, Southern Miss
LHP Nick Swan, Florida Atlantic
LHP Joshua Shapiro, Marshall
RHP Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss
Players Mentioned
OF
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