MIAMI After winning its first Sun Belt Conference baseball regular season title since 1997, it was only fitting that Louisiana-Lafayette took home the awards.

 

The Ragin Cajuns had a league-high nine players named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team, which was announced on Tuesday evening at a pre-tournament banquet prior to Wednesdays start of the 2005 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championships.

 

UL Lafayette (45-15, 16-8 Sun Belt) also received two individual honors. Senior left-hander Austin Faught was named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year following a perfect 11-0 regular season, while head coach Tony Robichaux was named Coach of the Year.

 

Other awards given out Tuesday night included Florida Internationals Yahmed Yema, who was selected as the league Player of the Year. The junior certainly deserved the honor, hitting .398 and has 14 home runs and 61 RBIs. He hit .412 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in conference play.

 

FIU, which will host the four-day conference tournament at University Park, had four All-Sun Belt selections including first-team picks Yema and fellow outfielder Dennis Diaz.

 

Middle Tennessee junior designated hitter Todd Martin was named league Newcomer of the Year, while New Mexico State freshman Luke Hopkins was tabbed Freshman of the Year.

 

Much of the night, however, belonged to the Ragin Cajuns. The team received its regular season trophy after finishing one-game ahead of second-place South Alabama.

 

It had been a long time coming for a Cajun program that has had much success since that 97 campaign. Since winning that title, the program became the first Sun Belt school to reach the College World Series (2000), and has appeared in four NCAA Regionals and two Super Regionals.

 

Joining Faught on the first team included third baseman Dallas Morris and utility player Micah Cockrell, while right-hander Kevin Ardoin (pitcher); Phillip Hawke (first base); Justin Merendino (second base); John Coker (outfielder); Josh Landry (outfielder) and Jonathan Lucroy (designated hitter) were second-team members.

 

Middle Tennessee had five All-Sun Belt picks, while FIU had four. Each Sun Belt school had at least one player receive All-Sun Belt honors.

 

No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee will play No. 5 New Mexico State in the tournament opener at 9:30 a.m. (ET) on Wednesday. No. 2 South Alabama will meet No. 7 New Orleans in the 12:30 p.m. contest, and the host-Golden Panthers will face No. 6 Arkansas State at 3:30 p.m. UL Lafayette, the tournament No. 1 seed, and No. 8 Western Kentucky will wrap up first-day action at 6:30 p.m.

 

2005 ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM

 

1^st Team

Pitcher                Austin Faught, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Pitcher                Matt Scott, So., Middle Tennessee

Relief Pitcher      Adam Wood, Sr., South Alabama

Catcher               Michael McKenry, So., Middle Tennessee

1^st Base               Geoff Desmond, Sr., Arkansas State

2^nd Base              Brett Kinning, Jr., Arkansas State

Shortstop             Chris Rich, Sr., Arkansas State

Third Base           Dallas Morris, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Outfield                Mark Aranda, Sr., New Mexico State

Outfield                Dennis Diaz, Sr., Florida International

Outfield                Yahmed Yema, Jr., Florida International

Designated Hitter Todd Martin, Jr., Middle Tennessee

Utility Player        Micah Cockrell, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

 

2^nd Team

Pitcher                 Kevin Ardoin, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Pitcher                 David Asher, Sr., Florida International

Relief Pitcher       Frank Gonzalez, Jr., Florida International

Catcher                Tommy Bryant, Sr., Arkansas-Little Rock

1^st Base                Phillip Hawke, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

2^nd Base               Justin Merendino, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Shortstop              Jeff Beachum, Jr., Middle Tennessee

Third Base            Nate Jaggers, Sr., Middle Tennessee

Outfield                 Brandon Bowser, So., New Orleans

Outfield                 John Coker, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Outfield                 Josh Landry, Jr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Designated Hitter  Jonathan Lucroy, Fr., Louisiana-Lafayette

Utility Player         Matt Ransdell, Jr., Western Kentucky

 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:        Yahmed Yema, Florida International

PITCHER OF THE YEAR:       Austin Faught, Louisiana-Lafayette

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:  Todd Martin, Middle Tennessee

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:   Luke Hopkins, New Mexico State

COACH OF THE YEAR:          Tony Robichaux, Louisiana-Lafayette