The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Merritt Earns Preseason All-Conference Baseball Honors
1/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 27, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB senior baseball player Jonathan Merritt has been selected to the 2010 Preseason All-Conference USA Team, as selected by the league's head coaches and announced Wednesday by the conference office.
A career .313 hitter, Merritt is entering his fourth year as the Blazers' starting shortstop and ranks in the top 10 in the UAB career record books in runs scored (147, 5th), doubles (39, 5th), stolen bases (48, 6th) and hits (206, 7th).
As a junior last season, Merritt posted a .317 batting average and ranked fifth in the conference with 18 doubles and 20 stolen bases. Also a good student, the Douglasville, Ga., native earned recognition on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Second Team in 2009.
"Obviously, as a four-year starter, Jonathan has had a strong college career already," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "That being said, I thought he was great in fall practice. If he plays the spring the way he played in the fall, we have a very good college shortstop on both sides of the baseball."
Merritt, a former C-USA All-Freshman Team selection, anchors a Blazer infield that returns starters at every position from last year's team which finished 31-26. The Blazers open the 2010 campaign with a midweek game Feb. 23 at Mississippi State before hosting Ball State in a four-game series Feb. 26-28 at Young Memorial Field.
Rice, led by preseason player of the year Anthony Rendon, and East Carolina led all teams in the conference with four representatives each on the 14-member preseason team. Todd McInnis of Southern Miss was the preseason selection as the conference pitcher of the year.
2010 Preseason All-Conference USA Team
P -- Seth Maness (Jr., East Carolina)
P -- Todd McInnis (Jr., Southern Miss)
P -- Taylor Wall (So., Rice)
RP -- Collin Cargill (Jr., Southern Miss)
C -- Jeremy Schaffer (So., Tulane)
IF -- Victor Gomez (Jr., Marshall)
IF -- Rick Hague (Jr., Rice)
IF -- Blake Kelso (Jr., Houston)
IF -- Jonathan Merritt (Sr., UAB)
IF -- Anthony Rendon (So., Rice)
OF -- Devin Harris (Jr., East Carolina)
OF -- Chad Mozingo (Jr., Rice)
OF -- Trent Whitehead (Jr., East Carolina)
DH/UT -- Kyle Roller (Sr., East Carolina)
Player of the Year -- Anthony Rendon, Rice (Sophomore, 3B)
Pitcher of the Year -- Todd McInnis, Southern Miss (Junior, RHP)
