From STAFF REPORTS
Junior pitcher Carson Smith became the third Texas State baseball player in the program’s history to earn All-American honors when Collegiate Baseball released its national NCAA Division I selections.
The 6-foot, 5-inch right-handed pitcher from Midland was named to the Louisville Slugger All-American Second Team after a vote from the Collegiate Baseball staff.
A Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American Third Team selection this season, Smith adds All-American accolades to an already impressive résumé that includes being named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season and a national player of the week award. A three-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week during the season, Smith was also named a Preseason All-America Third Team selection by College Baseball Lineup.
Smith compiled a 9-3 record with a 1.98 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 104 1/3 innings on the mound. The junior has tossed a pair of complete games this season, while holding opponents to a .213 batting average.
Smith’s 1.98 ERA is the best single-season earned-run average in Texas State history, topping Justin Fiske’s mark of 2.01 in 2007. Also, with nine victories this year, Smith is tied for ninth on the single-season wins list. That also gives him 19 wins for his career, which is tied for seventh most all-time.
With his All-American status, Smith joins two Texas State players from the most recent NCAA Regional-qualifying team in 2009 – pitcher Kane Holbrooks and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt – as the only Bobcat baseball players ever to earn All-American honors.
Also from that 2009 team, current junior Tyler Sibley was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American during his first season with the Bobcats.
Smith is one of three Southland Conference players to be honored by Louisville Slugger as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi outfielder Matt Holland and Stephen F. Austin outfielder Bryson Myles both earned third team honors.
UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer was named the Louisville Slugger Player of the Year.
