The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Davis Earns All-Freshman Team Honors
5/21/2019 2:06:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM – Outfielder Jess Davis of the UAB baseball team has been named to Conference USA All-Freshman Team, the league announced on Tuesday.
Davis serves as UAB's lone representative to garner All-Conference honors after helping the Blazers to four consecutive C-USA series victories to close the season and amassed the most wins in program history since 2015 with a 27-29 record and 12-18 mark in league play.
"We are so proud of Jess being named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team," head coach Brian Shoop said. " I truly thought he was the best freshman in our league and the one who had the biggest influence on our conference."
"There was a good chance that Jess would have been a regular player last year, but he broke a bone in his foot in his first fall practice, which forced him to miss all of the 2018 season. For him to come back from a major surgery and play at such a high level is a testament to his hard work and the talent level that God has blessed him with."
Davis spent the majority of the 2019 season among the top-two nationally in stolen bases and stolen bases per game as he swiped 48 his first year on the Southside. The 48 bags were good for the second most in a single season in school history, and he ranks ninth already in career stolen bases. Additionally, he tied the program record for swipes in a game (5) in game three of Opening Weekend against SIU-Edwardsville.
The freshman got on base by batting the third highest mark on the team with a .296 average and 50 runs scored on 64 hits, including 14 doubles and five home runs with 34 RBIs. The Kearney, Mo., native produced 17 games with multiple hits, six three hit games and a four base knock contest in an 11-4 series finale victory at FIU.
Davis was joined in the lineup by his older brother Zack with the two accounting for almost 25 percent of the Blazers' hits. The pair scored a combined 91 runs and joined together for 82 RBIs.
"What was really special is that Jess got to play alongside his brother Zack in our outfield," Shoop said. "This is an amazing family who we are so blessed to have in our program. Zack also had a great year and I had really hoped that he would be recognized as an All-Conference player for the great year he had. We believe that we return, in Jess and Zack, two of the better outfielders in all of C-USA to lead the 2020 Blazers next year.
"Jess will only continue to get better. He is playing in the Alaska Summer Collegiate League with the AIA team this summer and will continue to improved as he piles up at-bats and reps against Division I talent from across the country. Jess is a tremendous representative for UAB and Blazer baseball."
2019 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Josh Haney, 3B, Charlotte
Danny Lynch, Infield, Southern Miss
Luke Edwards, Utility, Marshall
Jarrett Ford, Outfield, FIU
Mitchell Hartigan, Outfield, Florida Atlantic
Andy Garriola, Outfield, Old Dominion
Ryan Teschko, Outfield, Old Dominion
Jess Davis, Outfield, UAB
Jackson Swiney, Outfield, WKU
Jonathan Fincher, LHP, Louisiana Tech
Josh Young, RHP, Middle Tennessee
Jacob Josey, SS/RHP, Florida Atlantic
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Davis serves as UAB's lone representative to garner All-Conference honors after helping the Blazers to four consecutive C-USA series victories to close the season and amassed the most wins in program history since 2015 with a 27-29 record and 12-18 mark in league play.
"We are so proud of Jess being named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team," head coach Brian Shoop said. " I truly thought he was the best freshman in our league and the one who had the biggest influence on our conference."
"There was a good chance that Jess would have been a regular player last year, but he broke a bone in his foot in his first fall practice, which forced him to miss all of the 2018 season. For him to come back from a major surgery and play at such a high level is a testament to his hard work and the talent level that God has blessed him with."
Davis spent the majority of the 2019 season among the top-two nationally in stolen bases and stolen bases per game as he swiped 48 his first year on the Southside. The 48 bags were good for the second most in a single season in school history, and he ranks ninth already in career stolen bases. Additionally, he tied the program record for swipes in a game (5) in game three of Opening Weekend against SIU-Edwardsville.
The freshman got on base by batting the third highest mark on the team with a .296 average and 50 runs scored on 64 hits, including 14 doubles and five home runs with 34 RBIs. The Kearney, Mo., native produced 17 games with multiple hits, six three hit games and a four base knock contest in an 11-4 series finale victory at FIU.
Davis was joined in the lineup by his older brother Zack with the two accounting for almost 25 percent of the Blazers' hits. The pair scored a combined 91 runs and joined together for 82 RBIs.
"What was really special is that Jess got to play alongside his brother Zack in our outfield," Shoop said. "This is an amazing family who we are so blessed to have in our program. Zack also had a great year and I had really hoped that he would be recognized as an All-Conference player for the great year he had. We believe that we return, in Jess and Zack, two of the better outfielders in all of C-USA to lead the 2020 Blazers next year.
"Jess will only continue to get better. He is playing in the Alaska Summer Collegiate League with the AIA team this summer and will continue to improved as he piles up at-bats and reps against Division I talent from across the country. Jess is a tremendous representative for UAB and Blazer baseball."
2019 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Josh Haney, 3B, Charlotte
Danny Lynch, Infield, Southern Miss
Luke Edwards, Utility, Marshall
Jarrett Ford, Outfield, FIU
Mitchell Hartigan, Outfield, Florida Atlantic
Andy Garriola, Outfield, Old Dominion
Ryan Teschko, Outfield, Old Dominion
Jess Davis, Outfield, UAB
Jackson Swiney, Outfield, WKU
Jonathan Fincher, LHP, Louisiana Tech
Josh Young, RHP, Middle Tennessee
Jacob Josey, SS/RHP, Florida Atlantic
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Players Mentioned
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