Skinner and LaRue named to All-Sun Belt Team

MONROE, La. - After serving as two of the primary sources for the Blue Raider offense this season, Will Skinner and Hank LaRue were both voted to All-Sun Belt Second Team on Tuesday night, as announced by the league office.

The awards mark the 11th consecutive season that the Blue Raiders have placed two or more athletes on an All-SBC squad.

Skinner, a senior, had a standout year for Middle Tennessee and the Sun Belt, leading the conference in home runs (16), slugging percentage (.655) and total bases (144). The Murfreesboro native also earned his first Sun Belt Player of the Week award earlier this season.

"It's a culmination of Will's career here," head coach Steve Peterson said. "He was the main part of our offensive line-up, and he batted clean-up from day one this season until the end. He put in a lot of hard work and became an outstanding outfielder and a heck of a ball player. I feel very confident that he'll continue his career into professional baseball."

LaRue stands on the opposite side of the spectrum, becoming the first freshman since Bryce Brentz to take home freshman All-Conference honors and just the third since MT joined the Sun Belt in 2001. The Evansville, Ind., native finished his first season in Murfreesboro with a .306 average with 34 runs batted in and 37 walks while playing outstanding defense at third base.

"In just his first year, Hank showed me that he is definitely a ball player," Peterson said. "From the first day of fall practice, he showed me that he really loves to play ball. He really give us his all, whether it's at practice, in the weight room or on game day. It's going to be very fun to watch his career blossom and develop over the next few years."

All-Sun Belt First Team
SP - Paul Davis, Florida Atlantic
SP - Tyler Ray, Troy
RP - Hugh Adams, Florida Atlantic
C - Matt Rice, Western Kentucky
1B - Joey Rapp, ULM
2B - Raymond Church, Florida Atlantic
SS - Adam Bryant, Troy
3B - Tyler Hannah, Troy
3B - Jeremy Patton, FIU
OF - Todd Baumgartner, Arkansas State
OF - Pablo Bermudez, FIU
OF - Kes Carter, Western Kentucky
DH - Nick Rountree, UALR
UTIL - Tyson Workman, Troy

All-Sun Belt Second Team
SP - Phil Haig, FIU
SP - Tanner Perkins, Western Kentucky
RP - Nate Hill, Troy
C - Brent Tanner, South Alabama
1B - Mike Martinez, FIU
2B - T.J. Rivera, Troy
SS - Nick DelGuidice, Florida Atlantic
3B - Hank LaRue, Middle Tennessee
OF - Jared Andreoli, Western Kentucky
OF - Alex Hudak, Florida Atlantic
OF - Will Skinner, Middle Tennessee
DH - Lance Marvel, Louisiana
UTIL - Brad Hook - South Alabama

Sun Belt Co-Players of the Year
Pablo Bermudez, FIU
Adam Bryant, Troy

Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year
Tyler Ray, Troy

Freshman of the Year
Justin Hageman, Western Kentucky

Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Bobby Pierce, Troy

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