TicketsCINCINNATI – A school record three University of Cincinnati baseball players were named to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team the league announced Wednesday.
Senior designated hitter Wyatt Stapp earned unanimous selection as a two-time recipient while senior third baseman Eric Santiago and junior left-handed pitcher Evan Shawver were named preseason All-AAC for the first time.
UC's three selections to the AAC All-Conference Team were the second most of any team in the league behind only East Carolina, who had four honorees.
The Bearcats were projected to finish sixth the eight-team AAC according to a preseason poll of the league's coaches. East Carolina garnered 49 points and seven first-place votes followed by UCF (39 points), Tulane (36 points and one first-place vote), Houston (34 points), Wichita State (25 points), Cincinnati (15 points), Memphis (14 points) and USF (12 points).
Stapp batted .283 in 46 at-bats with 13 hits, 11 RBIs, eight runs, two doubles and two stolen bases during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. He was named to the 2019 AAC All-Tournament Team as a junior as the No. 2 seeded Bearcats made a historic run to win the AAC Tournament Championship and appeared in the NCAA postseason for the first time in 45 years. Stapp ended the 2019 season with the team's best batting average, finishing at .294 in 235 at-bats. He played in 60 of the team's 62 games with 59 starts. He was second on the team in RBIs with 35.
Santiago started all 15 games for UC last season, posting a .314 batting average with 16 hits, one home run, nine RBIs, seven runs and three doubles in 51 at-bats. He was named to the Corvallis All-Regional Team in 2019 and batted .256 with 58 hits, 14 doubles and 24 RBIs for the season in 60 games, the second most by a player in school history.
Shawver earned a team-best 1.59 ERA in the shortened 2020 campaign, posting a 2-0 record in four starts while throwing 22.2 innings with 35 strikeouts and allowing four earned runs, 10 hits and nine walks. He recorded 10 starts in 17 appearances in 2019 with 69 strikeouts and a 5.95 ERA in 61.2 innings.
AAC Preseason Poll
1. East Carolina – 49 points – 7 first-place votes
2. UCF – 39 points
3. Tulane – 36 points – 1 first-place vote
4. Houston – 34 points
5. Wichita State – 25 points
6. Cincinnati – 15 points
7. Memphis – 14 points
8. USF – 12 points
Preseason Player of the Year
Hunter Goodman, So., C, Memphis
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Braden Olthoff, R-Jr., Tulane
Preseason All-Conference Team
P - Colton Gordon, R-So., UCF
P - Evan Shawver, Jr., Cincinnati
P - Jake Kuchmaner, Jr., East Carolina*
P - Braden Olthoff, R-Jr., Tulane*
P - Liam Eddy, Jr., Wichita State
RP - Jack Sinclair, Jr., UCF
C - Hunter Goodman, So., Memphis*
1B - Ryan Hernandez, Jr., Houston
2B - Connor Norby, So., East Carolina
SS - Ben Brooks, Jr., Memphis
3B - Eric Santiago, Sr., Cincinnati
3B - Trevor Minder, R-Jr., Tulane
OF - Thomas Francisco, So., East Carolina
OF - Bryson Worrell, Jr., East Carolina*
OF - Couper Cornblum, So., Wichita State
DH - Wyatt Stapp, Sr., Cincinnati*
* denotes unanimous selection
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Senior designated hitter Wyatt Stapp earned unanimous selection as a two-time recipient while senior third baseman Eric Santiago and junior left-handed pitcher Evan Shawver were named preseason All-AAC for the first time.
UC's three selections to the AAC All-Conference Team were the second most of any team in the league behind only East Carolina, who had four honorees.
The Bearcats were projected to finish sixth the eight-team AAC according to a preseason poll of the league's coaches. East Carolina garnered 49 points and seven first-place votes followed by UCF (39 points), Tulane (36 points and one first-place vote), Houston (34 points), Wichita State (25 points), Cincinnati (15 points), Memphis (14 points) and USF (12 points).
Stapp batted .283 in 46 at-bats with 13 hits, 11 RBIs, eight runs, two doubles and two stolen bases during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. He was named to the 2019 AAC All-Tournament Team as a junior as the No. 2 seeded Bearcats made a historic run to win the AAC Tournament Championship and appeared in the NCAA postseason for the first time in 45 years. Stapp ended the 2019 season with the team's best batting average, finishing at .294 in 235 at-bats. He played in 60 of the team's 62 games with 59 starts. He was second on the team in RBIs with 35.
Santiago started all 15 games for UC last season, posting a .314 batting average with 16 hits, one home run, nine RBIs, seven runs and three doubles in 51 at-bats. He was named to the Corvallis All-Regional Team in 2019 and batted .256 with 58 hits, 14 doubles and 24 RBIs for the season in 60 games, the second most by a player in school history.
Shawver earned a team-best 1.59 ERA in the shortened 2020 campaign, posting a 2-0 record in four starts while throwing 22.2 innings with 35 strikeouts and allowing four earned runs, 10 hits and nine walks. He recorded 10 starts in 17 appearances in 2019 with 69 strikeouts and a 5.95 ERA in 61.2 innings.
AAC Preseason Poll
1. East Carolina – 49 points – 7 first-place votes
2. UCF – 39 points
3. Tulane – 36 points – 1 first-place vote
4. Houston – 34 points
5. Wichita State – 25 points
6. Cincinnati – 15 points
7. Memphis – 14 points
8. USF – 12 points
Preseason Player of the Year
Hunter Goodman, So., C, Memphis
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Braden Olthoff, R-Jr., Tulane
Preseason All-Conference Team
P - Colton Gordon, R-So., UCF
P - Evan Shawver, Jr., Cincinnati
P - Jake Kuchmaner, Jr., East Carolina*
P - Braden Olthoff, R-Jr., Tulane*
P - Liam Eddy, Jr., Wichita State
RP - Jack Sinclair, Jr., UCF
C - Hunter Goodman, So., Memphis*
1B - Ryan Hernandez, Jr., Houston
2B - Connor Norby, So., East Carolina
SS - Ben Brooks, Jr., Memphis
3B - Eric Santiago, Sr., Cincinnati
3B - Trevor Minder, R-Jr., Tulane
OF - Thomas Francisco, So., East Carolina
OF - Bryson Worrell, Jr., East Carolina*
OF - Couper Cornblum, So., Wichita State
DH - Wyatt Stapp, Sr., Cincinnati*
* denotes unanimous selection
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Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.