Rogers, Dudley, and Montes Earn Postseason Award Recognition
Columbus, Ga. -- Columbus State posted an oustanding 44-12 record for the 2010 season and now some of the individual players are earning recognition for their on-field prowess. Jason Rogers, Wade Dudley, and Alex Montes have been selected to various postseason teams this week.
Rogers, the Cougars' slugging first baseman, has been named as a First Team All-Southeast Region player by both Daktronics and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The Daktronics team is nominated and voted on by sports information directors at the various institutions, while the ABCA team is selected by member coaches in the organization. Rogers, also a semifinalist for the Ping! Baseball inaugural Tino Martinez Division II Player of the Year award, will now automatically go on the ballot for consideration as a Division II All-American for both organizations.
Rogers tied the Columbus State and Peach Belt Conference marks for homeruns in a single season with 26 in 2010. He set a new CSU mark with 46 extra-base hits in a season (26 HR, 18 2b, 2 3b), and narrowly missed the CSU record for RBI in a season with 86 (the record is 89 by Rodney Rutherford in 2007). He also set a new mark for slugging percentage in a season with a phenomenal mark of .869, breaking a 23-year-old record set by CSU Hall of Fame member Chip Duncan in 1987, and also for total bases in a season with 193.
Joining Rogers on the Daktronics listings is closer Wade Dudley. Dudley, a senior right-hander from Phenix City, was named to the Second Team All-Southeast squad. Dudley fell just two saves shy of the school record this season as he saved 12 games. He appeared in 25 games and was 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 33 innings of work.
Montes, a senior center fielder from Phenix City, joins Rogers on the ABCA / Rawlings Southeast Region Gold Glove team. This honor makes both players eligible for the national Gold Glove team to be announced later this month. Montes was not only solid in center field with just one error in 124 fielding chances, but finished the season as the team's hottest hitter, getting 18 hits in postseason play.
NOTE: Montes, Ryan Lewis, Cameron Griffin and pitcher Thomas Campbell were named to the Southeast Regional All-Tournament team for their performances in last week's regional tournament at Francis Marion.
