Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Collegiate Baseball Tabs Allen C-USA Player of Year
1/6/2015 3:18:00 PM | Baseball
Senior outfielder led C-USA with 10 home runs last spring.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A trio of Middle Tennessee seniors recently appeared in Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll of Conference USA players to watch in 2015, including Jared Allen who was projected by NCAA coaches as the league's Player of the Year.
Austin Bryant and Dustin Delgado were also tabbed for the "Other Top Players to Watch" list for the upcoming season.
Allen, a native of Delano, Tennessee, returns for his second year in the Blue Raider program after earning First Team All-C-USA honors and leading C-USA in home runs with 10 in 2014. The 6-foot, 235-pound outfielder will be the anchor of this year's lineup after starting all 58 games a year ago. Last spring, Allen hit for an average of .257 and posted a .472 slugging percentage with 33 RBIs, 11 doubles and eight stolen bases.
Bryant enters his fourth year after posting his best season as a Blue Raider in 2014 when he hit .286 at the plate with 12 doubles and 25 RBIs. The Columbia, Tennessee native is slated as MT's primary second baseman after making 55 starts at the position last year.
Delgado will join Bryant up the middle on defense as the projected starting shortstop in 2015. In his first season as a Blue Raider last spring, the Miami, Florida native finished with the team's second-best average at .306 and led the MT squad with 32 walks in the leadoff spot. He was also one of four Blue Raiders to produce at least 30 runs.
The Collegiate Baseball poll also featured projected final standings by conference, as MT was voted to finish seventh out of 12 teams. The Blue Raiders finished fourth in C-USA last year with an overall record of 31-27 and 17-13 conference mark.
Rice was picked to win the conference with starting pitcher Blake Fox voted as the league's projected Pitcher of the Year. Florida Atlantic placed the most names on the "Other Top Players to Watch" list with six.
Middle Tennessee is scheduled to open the 2015 campaign with a weekend series at Jacksonville Feb. 13-15.
Conference USA
Projected Order of Finish
Projected Pitcher of the Year
LHP Blake Fox, Rice
Projected Player of the Year
OF Jared Allen, Middle Tennessee
Other Players to Watch
IF Austin Bryant, Middle Tennessee
IF Dustin Delgado, Middle Tennessee
Austin Bryant and Dustin Delgado were also tabbed for the "Other Top Players to Watch" list for the upcoming season.
Allen, a native of Delano, Tennessee, returns for his second year in the Blue Raider program after earning First Team All-C-USA honors and leading C-USA in home runs with 10 in 2014. The 6-foot, 235-pound outfielder will be the anchor of this year's lineup after starting all 58 games a year ago. Last spring, Allen hit for an average of .257 and posted a .472 slugging percentage with 33 RBIs, 11 doubles and eight stolen bases.
Bryant enters his fourth year after posting his best season as a Blue Raider in 2014 when he hit .286 at the plate with 12 doubles and 25 RBIs. The Columbia, Tennessee native is slated as MT's primary second baseman after making 55 starts at the position last year.
Delgado will join Bryant up the middle on defense as the projected starting shortstop in 2015. In his first season as a Blue Raider last spring, the Miami, Florida native finished with the team's second-best average at .306 and led the MT squad with 32 walks in the leadoff spot. He was also one of four Blue Raiders to produce at least 30 runs.
The Collegiate Baseball poll also featured projected final standings by conference, as MT was voted to finish seventh out of 12 teams. The Blue Raiders finished fourth in C-USA last year with an overall record of 31-27 and 17-13 conference mark.
Rice was picked to win the conference with starting pitcher Blake Fox voted as the league's projected Pitcher of the Year. Florida Atlantic placed the most names on the "Other Top Players to Watch" list with six.
Middle Tennessee is scheduled to open the 2015 campaign with a weekend series at Jacksonville Feb. 13-15.
Conference USA
Projected Order of Finish
- Rice
- Southern Miss.
- FIU
- UTSA
- UAB
- Old Dominion
- Middle Tennessee
- Florida Atlantic
- Western Kentucky
- Charlotte
- Marshall
- La Tech
Projected Pitcher of the Year
LHP Blake Fox, Rice
Projected Player of the Year
OF Jared Allen, Middle Tennessee
Other Players to Watch
IF Austin Bryant, Middle Tennessee
IF Dustin Delgado, Middle Tennessee
Players Mentioned
Season Preview - MTSU Baseball
Thursday, February 12
MTSU Baseball 53rd Annual Ground Hog Day Lunch 2/2/26
Monday, February 02
True Blue Testimonials - Baseball Catcher Tyler Minnick
Tuesday, January 27
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
