Anteater Trio Recognized By Collegiate Baseball
December 23, 2013 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. --- Preseason All-America recognition continues for Andrew Morales, Connor Spencer and Taylor Sparks as they each earned their second honor of the year, this time by Collegiate Baseball. Morales and Spencer were voted to the second team while Sparks was a third-team honoree.
Morales was 10-0 on the mound last year and boasted a 1.89 earned run average en route to being named an All-Big West first-team selection. Morales ranked 27th in the country in victories and held opposing batters to a .227 average to place third in the conference. Morales struck out 85 batters in 95.1 innings and was a three-time Big West Pitcher of the Week.
Spencer was also named to the second team after wielding a .373 batting average in his sophomore season and winning the Big West Conference batting title. The first baseman totaled 79 hits, including a team-leading 19 doubles and drove in 35 runs. He was 46th in the country in batting and was 51st in doubles while placing third in the conference with a .443 on-base percentage.
Sparks was the Big West Co-Player of the Year in 2013. Manning the hot corner, he was received an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-West Region second-team nod, was an ABCA Gold Glove winner and chosen as a Collegiate Baseball "Louisville Slugger" second-team All-American. Sparks hit .360 while recording the 60th-best slugging percentage at .581. He played with the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team and was named the Top American Player in the USA-Japan series.
UC Irvine opens the 2014 season against Fresno State, Feb. 14-16.
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