RICHARDSON, TX (05.06.09) – UT Dallas senior third baseman
Cody Ross has been named the American Southwest Conference East Division Player of the Year, after leading the Comets baseball team to a 28-18 season with a .439 batting average.
Ross, a senior transfer from Wharton County Junior College who began his collegiate career at Texas State University, led the Comets with 87 hits and drove in 67 runs while knocking 39 extra-base hits for an .803 slugging percentage. The Austin Bowie HS product scored a team-hit 64 runs during a season where the Comets averaged almost 10 runs per game.
Ross, who was also one of three Comets to earn first-team All-ASC East Division honors, was UTD's third Player of the Year honoree in 2008-09.
UTD senior outfielder
Jake Eisman from Highland Village was also honored in the voting by opposing coaches with the ASC East Division Sportsmanship Award, sharing that honor with UT-Tyler outfielder Kendall Fox. Fox's UTT teammate, pitcher Brett Holland, won ASC East Division Pitcher of the Year honors. (
LINK HERE for the complete ASC All-Division team story).
Ross was joined on the ASC All-East Division first-team squad by senior outfielder
Jared Smith and designated hitter
Neal Gordon. Smith, a senior from New Caney, TX, finished his UTD career setting new single-season and career records for home runs after knocking 23 in 2009, tops in the national NCAA Division III statistical standings. Gordon, a senior outfielder from Houston (Jersey Village HS) who was injured a portion of the season, still finished the year hitting .331 with 10 extra-base hits.
UTD had three baseball players named to the All-ASC East Division second team. Catcher
Adam Hudec, a junior from Sugar Land (Strake Jesuit HS), hit .396 with 17 extra-base hits. Freshman shortstop
Jacob Starnes, also from Sugar Land (Fort Bend Baptist Academy) finished his first collegiate season hitting .320 with 10 extra-base hits. Junior pitcher
Adam Spinn (Holland, TX) was one of the most effective relievers in the league, posting six saves with a a team-best 2.96 ERA during the regular season.
Four Comets won ASC East Division honorable mention recognition. They were senior second baseman
Chris Biguenet (Plano Senior HS), who finished the year with 12 home runs; senior outfielder Eisman (Flower Mound Marcus HS), who hit .327; and senior pitchers
Drew Waggoner (Dallas Hillcrest HS) and
Damion Chelakis (Houston Jersey Village HS). Gordon also got honorable mention recognition as a utility player.