Daniel Minor Named ABCA First Team All-South Central Region
Former Texas A&M – Corpus Christi pitcher Daniel Minor has been named First Team All-South Central Region, being voted to the team by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Because he received first team honors, Minor is now under consideration for the ABCA All-America Team, which will be selected next week at the College World Series.
After completing his junior season for the Islanders, Minor was drafted by the Houston Astros in the ninth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and recently signed with the team to begin his professional career.
Minor became the highest draft pick in Texas A&M – Corpus Christi baseball history, besting the previous high of the 21st round by Todd Simko a year ago. He will begin his professional career in Tennessee, having been assigned to the Greeneville Astros, the rookie affiliate of the MLB team.
In his one season with the Islanders, Minor had the best ERA among Southland Conference starting pitchers with a 2.20 ERA in 110.1 innings. He was also second in the league with 110 strikeouts to just 23 walks. He added four complete games, including one shutout, while earning 10 wins on the year, tying the school record for wins in a season.
During the year, he earned Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week honors four times, and was also named the league's Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-Southland selection at the conclusion of the regular season. In the Southland Conference Tournament, Minor pitched 8.0 innings, giving up just two runs, one of them earned, on eight hits. In the game, Minor walked one and struck out three as the team upset No. 1 seed Sam Houston State.
Other Southland players honored on the ABCA first team were Brock Hebert and Stefan Lopez from Southeastern Louisiana, Hunter Dozier of Stephen F. Austin, Anthony Azar of Sam Houston State, and Preston Beck from UT Arlington. Second team members were Jeremy Hill of Nicholls, Lance Day from UTA and Travis Ballew of Texas State.
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FIRST TEAM (eligible for All-America)
C - Blake Johnson, UALR
1B - Alex Williams, Louisiana Tech
2B - Brock Hebert, Southeastern Louisiana
3B - Mike Martinez, FIU
SS - Hunter Dozier, Stephen F. Austin
DH - Anthony Azar, Sam Houston State
OF - Sean Bignall, UALR
OF - Preston Beck, UT Arlington
OF - Justin Guidry, Middle Tennessee
OF - Trent Miller, Middle Tennessee
SP - Matthew Reckling, Rice
SP - Daniel Minor, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
SP - Jacob Lee, Arkansas State
RP - Stefan Lopez, Southeastern Louisiana
SECOND TEAM
C - Craig Manuel, Rice
1B - Joey Rapp, ULM
2B - Christian Stringer, Rice
3B - Danny Collins, Troy
SS - Jeremy Sy, ULM
DH - Jeremy Hill, Nicholls
OF - Kendall Logan, Jackson State
OF - Jeremy Rathjen, Rice
OF - Jabari Henry, FIU
SP - Lance Day, UT Arlington
SP - Quintavious Drains, Jackson State
SP - Chance Cleveland, UALR
SP - Travis Ballew, Texas State
RP - R.J. Alvarez, Florida Atlantic
