CORPUS CHRISTI - It was a record-setting season
for the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi baseball team in 2011, as
the Islanders set numerous individual and team school records in
the fourth season under head coach Scott Malone. The Islanders
posted their best year in school history, winning 37 games and
finishing third in the Southland Conference.
Here are some of the highlights from the season:
- Won a program-record 37 games, becoming just the third team in
school history to top the 30-win plateau. The Islanders had the
fifth-most wins of any team that failed to make the NCAA
Tournament.
- Set a school record with 19 conference wins and a third-place
finish in the Southland Conference. Also advanced to the final day
of the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time.
- Registered victories over top-20 foes and NCAA Super Regional
participants Texas and Oregon State. Played 11 games against the
RPI Top 50 (3-8) and 22 against the RPI Top 100 (8-14).
- Swept a Southland-high five series on the year, including three
on the road. Had an 11-7 road record in conference play and an
overall mark of 18-10 record away from Corpus Christi.
- Set records for fewest errors, fielding percentage, saves and
strikeouts for pitchers as a team. Also saw senior Matt Holland set
school records in at-bats, hits, doubles and total bases. Junior
Todd Simko set the school's wins mark and junior Michael Boyle
match the saves record.
- Had one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, earning
honorable mention from College Baseball Newspaper. Southeastern
Louisiana was the only other program from the Southland to garner
mention from Collegiate Baseball, and only six other schools in the
state of Texas (four Big 12 schools, Rice and TCU) earned
recognition.
- Was ranked as high as 46th in the RPI and
24th in RPI guru Warren Nolan's Power Index. Received
votes in the National College Baseball Writers Association and
American Baseball Coaches Association polls for the first time in
school history.
- Had the top two draft picks in school history, as Simko
(21st round) and Holland (22nd round) both
went on Day Two of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
- Saw Matt Holland named First Team All-Southland Conference, the
first Islander to be chosen to the first team in school history.
Holland was also the first Louisville Slugger All-American in
program lore.
- Posted winning streaks of eight and nine games at different
points during the season. The eight-game string was the longest
active streak in the nation at that time.
- Finished the regular season by winning 12 of the last 13 games
and won 15 of the last 18 overall.
- Were impressive in the clutch, going 11-5 in one-run games and
15-8 in contests decided by two runs or less. Went 26-1 when
leading after eight innings. Went 31-3 when holding the opposition
to five runs or less.
