UE’s ROBERTS EARNS ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-REGION FIRST TEAM HONORS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On the heels of an historic season at the University of Evansville this past spring, UE graduate outfielder Eric Roberts (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) has been voted to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Midwest First Team in a vote of the region’s head coaches.  Roberts is now a finalist for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors.

Roberts became the first player in UE baseball history and just the second player in the last 30 seasons in Missouri Valley Conference history to record over 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season this year, as he hit a Valley-best 21 home runs, and stole a career-best 20 bases.  Overall, Roberts ranked in the MVC’s top 10 in ten different offensive categories, including leading the league in home runs (21) and total bases (150), ranking second in the Valley in runs scored (61), stolen bases (20), and walks (42), and ranking in the league’s top 10 in slugging percentage (3rd-.622), hits (8th-71), RBI (3rd-58), triples (4th-3), and sacrifice flies (4th-4).  The first-team all-MVC selection was one of the most consistent players in the country, as he homered in 11 of UE’s 14 weekend series, and did not go more than 35 plate appearances without a home run from March 5-on this spring.

The ABCA Midwest region includes teams from the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  All ABCA member coaches in the region have the opportunity to vote for All-Region selections.  The first-team All-Region honorees are now finalists for the ABCA All-America teams, which will be announced on Friday, prior to the start of the College World Series.