The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Hicklen, Lowery Named to All-Conference USA Second Team
5/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Conference USA Release
IRVING, Texas – The UAB baseball team had two players recognized by Conference USA on Tuesday afternoon. Brewer Hicklen and Thomas Lowery were each tabbed to the All-Conference USA Second Team. It's the first time either player has received the distinction.
"They're both great players and I can't imagine any team in our league wouldn't want them," said head coach Brian Shoop. "They would've played integral roles on any team. When we had all those injuries to our pitching staff, Thomas moved from bullpen to our Friday night guy and was incredible in that role. We were very, very competitive on Friday nights. I think Brewer is one of the best position players in the league. If he was healthy all year, he might've been the best player in the league."
For Hicklen, this honor comes a day after being named to the InTouch Credit Union 2017 C-USA Baseball All-Academic Team for the second straight year. The Green & Gold centerfielder turned in a remarkable season. Hicklen led the team with a .328 average, 43 runs, six triples, eight home runs, 31 RBI, 109 total bases, a .586 slugging percentage, 25 walks, a .422 on-base percentage and a C-USA best 17 stolen bases.
The Huntsville, Ala., native pieced together a 19-game hitting streak earlier this year, four games shy of the school record, and ended the season on a 41-game on-base streak. Hicklen finished the regular season in the top three in Conference USA in triples and stolen bases, and is the only player in the nation with at least five home runs (eight), six triples, and 11 stolen bases (17).
Hicklen's name is scattered throughout the record books. In addition to his six triples this year that rank tied for the fourth-most in school history for a single year, he ranks tied for sixth at UAB in career triples (10) and 10th in stolen bases (39). His last stolen base of the season was a straight steal of home plate in the finale, the first time a Blazer had done that in three years.
Hicklen has also been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team this year making this the third honor he has received.
Lowery earns his first All-C-USA honor since being named to the conference's All-Freshman Team in 2014. The senior had a remarkable season while being tasked with moving from the bullpen to Friday night starter. Lowery hurled the ninth complete game, one-hitter in a 5-0 victory over WKU on March 20 as he needed just 87 pitches to get through 28 batters, one over the minimum. He walked none and tied his career-best with six strikeouts.
Lowery finished the regular season with a 6-4 record, 4.90 ERA, three saves, team-high 54 strikeouts, and walked just 20 batters over 75.1 innings. His six victories all came in C-USA play, as he was one of just four players in the league with six-or-more wins.
The Birmingham native finished his career ranking second in saves (19) and relief appearances (73), third in ERA (3.37), wins (18) and pitching appearances (88), fourth in strikeouts (210), and ninth in innings pitched (232.1).
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