Frogs garner eight all-conference performers
5/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - Five Frogs earned first-team all-Mountain West Conference honors, while three others were tabbed as second-team performers. Clint Arnold repeated on the first team and Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle earned his third straight MWC Coach of the Year award. TCU tied with New Mexico with eight total all-conference selections.
Along with Arnold on the first team, catcher Bryan Holaday made it a three-peat at catcher for the Horned Frogs after two straight appearances for Andrew Walker. Ben Carruthers earned the nod at second base, marking his first career all-conference honor. Sophomore Tyler Lockwood was tabbed a first-teamer along with closer Andrew Cashner.
Matt Carpenter earned his second nod at third base on the second-team with his first coming in 2006. Chris Ellington was a second-team performer in the outfield along with freshman pitcher Sean Hoelscher.
Arnold led the conference with a .473 batting average in league play with 43 hits and 21 RBIs. Eight of his 15 stolen bases on the season came against league foes. Overall, the senior leads TCU with a .364 batting average in 53 games played.
Carruthers finished the conference season with a .321 average and 16 runs batted in. He made just two errors in league play for a .984 fielding percentage. On the season, the junior hit .303 with 30 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He committed just six errors for a .977 fielding percentage.
Holaday stepped right in at catcher this season and was a big part of the pitching staff's success in 2008. On the season, the sophomore hit .330 with 13 extra base hits and 37 runs batted in. He posted a .993 fielding percentage and threw out 20 runners trying to steal. In conference play, Holaday hit .356 with 17 RBIs and played flawless defense.
Lockwood moved into the starting rotation at the start of conference play and finished the season with a 6-1 record in nine starts. He led the squad with three complete games, while also leading the team with 89 2/3 innings pitched. Lockwood posted a career-high 65 strikeouts on the season. In league play, the right-hander had a 2.60 ERA in 62 1/3 innings and just five walks.
In his first season at TCU, Cashner took over the closer's role and led the Frogs with a 1.94 ERA, an 8-3 record and eight saves. He fanned 71 batters in 46 1/3 innings pitched and limited opponents to a .122 batting average. In league play, the right-hander posted a 1.00 ERA with a 3-1 record and five saves. He struck out 26 batters in 18 innings pitched.
Carpenter had the fourth-best batting average in league play at .326. Five of his seven home runs on the season came against league foes. On the season, the junior hit .273 and ranked tied for third on the team with 37 RBIs. He also led the team with 27 walks.
Chris Ellington has been the run-producer for the Frogs in 2008, leading the squad with 47 in his first season at TCU. He ranks second on the team with a .347 batting average and leads the team with 17 doubles. Ellington was also second on the team with a .381 average in 23 conference games and led the squad with 31 RBIs.
Freshman Sean Hoelscher ranked second on the team with a 7-2 record in 13 appearances. He was 5-1 in conference play with 33 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings pitched. On the season, he racked up 51 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings pitched.
The Frogs will open up tournament action Wednesday night at 7 p.m. They will meet the lowest seed to advance from Tuesday's two contests.
