Casey Kalenkosky was named an American Baseball Coaches Association All-America Third Team selection. He led the Bobcats in home runs (21), doubles (17) and runs batted in (69) this season and was named the MVP of the Southland Conference Tournament. (Photo Courtesy Texas State University)
STAFF REPORTS
Baseball coaches across the United States showed their appreciation for the season that junior first baseman Casey Kalenkosky had as they voted him an American Baseball Coaches Association All-America Third Team selection.
Kalenkosky, who was also an ABCA All-South Central Region First Team selection, becomes the third Texas State player ever to earn ABCA All-America honors and the second Bobcat All-American this season.
Three other Bobcats joined Kalenkosky with all-region accolades as second baseman Tyler Sibley and pitcher Carson Smith were voted to the ABCA All-South Central Region First Team, while third baseman Kyle Kubitza collected ABCA All-South Central Region Second Team honors.
Smith was voted a Louisville Slugger All-America Second Team selection earlier this season.
Kalenkosky earned his first career all-America recognition after putting up unprecedented power numbers for the Bobcats in 2011. The San Antonio native joined the Bobcats this season after spending two years at Cisco Junior College and made an immediate impact for Texas State, leading the team in home runs (21), doubles (17) and RBIs (69) while also posting a .327 batting average with 59 runs scored and six stolen bases from the middle of the order.
His 21 home runs were the sixth most in the nation leading up to the NCAA Regionals and set a Texas State single-season record, surpassing the previous mark set by Luke Cannon in 2006 and tied by Paul Goldschmidt in 2009. Kalenkosky’s 160 total bases were also the second most in a single season, while his 69 RBIs rank tied for third on the single-season chart.
An All-Southland Conference First Team selection, Kalenkosky was named the MVP of the Southland Conference Tournament as he led the Bobcats to their first SLC Tournament championship since 2000. Kalenkosky was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 13th round of the MLB First Year Player Draft.
Sibley began the season with a Texas State-record 30-game hitting streak and continued to get on base throughout the season from the top of the lineup. The Bobcat lead off man finished 2011 with a .340 batting average, six home runs, 12 doubles, three triples, 62 runs scored, 37 RBIs and 20 stolen bases for the season.
A CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection, Sibley earned All-Southland Conference First Team honors in addition to Southland Conference All-Tournament Team accolades. As a freshman, Sibley was named a Louisville Slugger and Baseball America Freshman All-American along with claiming All-Southland Conference Second Team honors.
For his career, Sibley is the Texas State leader in runs scored (183) while ranking tied for third in doubles (39), fourth in hits (222), fourth in stolen bases (41) and eighth in batting average (.343). Sibley was drafted in the 50th round of the MLB First Year Player Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.
This season, Smith was the ace of the Texas State pitching staff, finishing with a 9-3 record, 1.99 ERA and 129 strikeouts in a team-high 113 1/3 innings on the mound. Smith held opponents to a .216 batting average collectively and allowed just two home runs during the season. The 6-foot-5 right hander’s ERA and strikeouts this season were both single-season bests for the Texas State baseball program.
In addition to collecting Louisville Slugger All-America Second Team honors this season, he was named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season. Three national publications dubbed Smith their national player of the week after a career-high 14-strikeout performance earlier this season against UTSA, and he was named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week on three different occasions.
During his two-year career, Smith has already climbed into the top-10 in career ERA (second, 2.52), shutouts (tied for third, 3) strikeouts (fourth, 223), wins (tied for seventh, 19) and innings pitched (seventh, 218). Smith was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the eighth round of the MLB First Year Player Draft.
A three-year starter for the Bobcats, Kubitza finished the 2011 season with a .310 batting average to go along with 10 home runs, 66 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 12 doubles and a team-high seven triples. His 66 RBIs were the fifth most in a single-season in Texas State history, while his seven triples tied the single-season record. Kubitza also walked 54 times during the season, the second highest total in the team’s history.
Recently named to the Austin Regional All-Tournament Team, Kubitza was named to the All-Southland Conference First Team for the second straight season this year.
For his career, Kubitza ranks as the Bobcat leader in walks with 125 and is second in Texas State history in both home runs (27) and RBIs (145). He has also established himself in the top-10 in triples (tied for third, 10), hits (seventh, 181), runs scored (seventh, 142) and doubles (tied for ninth, 33). Kubitza became the highest Bobcat draft pick since 2000 when he was selected in the third round by the Atlanta Braves.
With four players voted to ABCA All-South Central Region Teams, the Bobcats were tied with Rice for the most selections.
