Feb. 12, 2011

click here for coaches' Sun Belt preseason poll

Wittels, Lee headline preseason All-Sun Belt team

Junior shortstop Garret Wittels (right) of FIU was named Preseason Player of the Year and junior Jacob Lee of Arkansas State was selected as Preseason Pitcher of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference, as voted by the league’s head coaches and released by the conference office.

Wittels, the 2010 Sun Belt Player of the Year, batted .412 a season ago and set a school record with 100 hits. He carries a 56-game hit streak into the season, two away from Robin Ventura’s record of 58 set in 1988.

Lee was 8-3 with an ERA of 3.80 this past season. He fanned 83 in 92.1 innings and tossed a pair of complete games.

Florida Atlantic senior Andy Mee was honored as an outfielder and relief pitcher on the preseason All-Sun Belt squad. Mee batted .378 a season ago with 99 hits, 17 doubles, eight homers, 58 runs and 55 RBI. On the mound, he was 1-2 with 11 saves and an ERA of 2.96. Mee struck out 22 in 24.1 innings.

Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky led the way with three players honored, while Arkansas State, FIU, Louisiana-Lafayette and Troy had two players each.

The 2011 seasons starts on Friday, Feb. 18, with all 10 SBC teams in action. Conference play begins on Friday, March 18, with five series. The 2011 Sun Belt Tournament will be May 25-29 at Warhawk Field in Monroe, La.

Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team
Pos. Name, School, Class

SP Jacob Lee, Arkansas State, Jr.

SP T.J. Geith, Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr.

SP Tyler Ray, Troy, Jr.

RP Andy Mee, Florida Atlantic, Sr.

RP Rye Davis, Western Kentucky, Jr.

C Matt Rice, Western Kentucky, Sr.

1B Dan Scheffler, Florida Atlantic, Sr.

2B Raymond Church, Florida Atlantic, Sr.

2B Jordan Poirrier, Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr.

SS Adam Bryant Troy, Sr.

3B Jake Overstreet, South Alabama, Sr.

OF Todd Baumgartner, Arkansas State, Sr.

OF Andy Mee, Florida Atlantic, Sr.

OF Kes Carter, Western Kentucky, Jr.

DH Mike Martinez, FIU, Jr.

Preseason Player of the Year: Garrett Wittels, FIU, junior shortstop

Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Jacob Lee, Arkansas State, junior

(photo courtesy of FIU Media Relations Office)