GW is SBC Player of the Year; Jabari wins Freshman of the Year

Maybe they read THIS or whatever the case, the Sun Belt coaches got it right by voting Garrett Wittels as the 2010 Sun Belt Player of the Year.

GW (left) was handed the hardware Tuesday night in Murfreesboro after putting together thus far one of the most extraordinary seasons in college baseball history with a 48-game hitting streak and counting. Need to know more about GW's season, then click the THIS link in the previous paragraph.

The SBC coaches also chose the right player for 2010 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in FIU left fielder Jabari Henry.

JH led the Panthers with 11 bombas and a .585 slugging percentage. JH was second to GW on the team with 50 RBI.

In the field, JH (right) had 5 assists as he displayed the hose he has attached to his right shoulder gunning down base runners that tried to take the extra base and played a superb left field -- such as this catch made at the wall against South Alabama in the first game of the 3-game series in mid-May. (thanks Alex J. Hernandez photo)

As far All-Sun Belt teams, FIU had GW on the 1st team and Mike Martinez (.382 avg, 7 HR, 47 RBI, .574 slug pct. and a team-leading 117 total bases) on the 2nd team.
 

FYI, if you are not in Murfreesboro, you can watch the entire Sun Belt Tournament for $10 on www.sunbeltsports.org. First pitch for FIU's first tournament game vs. South Alabama is at 10 a.m. (eastern time) on Wednesday morning.

BRIGHT AND WELL-MANNERED

Former FIU forward Marlon Bright won the 2010 Sun Belt Male Sporting Behavior Award. It is the second consecutive year an FIU athlete takes the award as former FIU quarterback Paul McCall won it last year.

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Comments

[FIU Fanatic]

Congratulations to Garrett Wittels!!! He's our own Conference Player of the Year!!!

Also, big time congrats to Jabari Henry on being named the Conference Freshman of the Year, and to Mike Martinez for his 2nd team All SBC!!!

Now, go on and win 4 games in the tournament, FIU!!

[Natalie G.]

So I went to the Sunbelt website and saw this:

First Team All-Conference
Zach Osborne (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., SP)
Matt Ridings (WKU, Sr., SP)
Rye Davis (WKU, R-So., RP)
Matt Rice (WKU, Jr., C)
Dan Scheffler (Florida Atlantic, Jr., 1B)
Justin Miller (Middle Tennessee, Jr., 2B)
Garrett Wittels (FIU, So., 3B)
Adam Bryant (Troy, Jr., SS)
Bryce Brentz (Middle Tennessee, Jr., OF)
Kes Carter (WKU, So., OF)
Andy Mee (Florida Atlantic, Jr., OF)
Justin Guidry (Middle Tennessee, So., DH)
Chase Whitley (Troy, Jr., UTIL)

Second Team All-Conference
Adam Champion (UALR, Sr., SP)
Mike Gipson (Florida Atlantic, Jr., SP)
Chase Whitley (Troy, Jr., RP)
Chad Keefer (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., C)
Murray Watts (Arkansas State, Jr., 1B)
Matt Payton (WKU, Sr., 2B)
Tyler Burnett (Middle Tennessee, Jr., 3B)
Nick Delguidice (Florida Atlantic, Jr., SS)
Todd Baumgartner (Arkansas State, Jr., OF)
Steven Felix (Troy, Sr., OF)
Mike Martinez (FIU, So., OF)
Chase Whitley (Troy, Jr., DH)
Tyson Parks (UALR, Sr., UTIL)

Player of the Year
Garrett Wittels (FIU, So., 3B)

Pitcher of the Year
Matt Ridings (WKU, Sr., SP)

Freshman of the Year
Jabari Henry (FIU, Fr., OF)

2010 Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
John McCormack, Florida Atlantic

First off, congrats to my boys Garret and Jabari! I am a big fan of Garrett and he's a friend of my brother (who also plays on the team) so I am not trying to show any biases here. I think it is absolute BSSSSSSSSS that teams like WKU who are on the bottom of the conference list somehow managed to get more players on the first team list then FIU. How does a player like Chase Whitley get FIRST TEAM for UTL. and then get SECOND TEAM for pitcher AND DH? The def. of a utility player is that they have the ability to play more than one position. That being said, why the hell would the Sunbelt conference coaches proceed to give him a damn award for every damn position he played in (this isn't a knock at the guy, I'm sure he's a great player)? HELLOOOOOO we get it that he's a great player! That took away positions that potential FIU players could have won!

Now baseball has been around my life A LOT, so I know that this is about numbers, but it looks to me like a damn popularity contest. How can someone tell me it's about numbers when Mike, who hit 5th in the conference and has better numbers than Chase Whitley is not on the list? When guys like Patton, Jobe, and Pablo are not on the list and again had better numbers? FIU is the NUMBER ONE hitting team in the conference people!!!!! I am so upset for those guys. FIU only made three people overall. Garret, Jabari, and Mike. That is just sad. So upset for FIU! :(

I'm sick of FIU being the last on the map for everything. The media coverage in Miami sucks. Garrett has gone on this incredible journey and is second in the NATION, not Florida, NATION, and news outlets like channel 7, 10, and 6 say but a few words and then we get to see how UM got their ass beat! I am so glad you guys are giving these kids the credit they deserve. There has to be a better way to get people to the games next year. They have like 50 fans, I mean, I can hear what the shortstop is saying to the pitcher for crying out loud! If FIU is going to get the credit they deserve, it starts with us-the FANS!

[FIUJM]

Congrats G-Witt!!! I was worried coaches would get it wrong.

Great post Natalie, it all starts with fans. As for media, local stations are getting better covering FIU...it will take time. Even Herald doesn't show respect at times.

Go FIU! win that tournament!

[c-UM]

Yeah Natalie, i went looked at it after i saw your post and it makes ZERO sense. Im pretty sure if a player is on 1st team, then there is no way he should make 2 more positions on 2nd team. Pretty dumb if you ask me and ive never seen that on another all-conf, all-tourney, all-etc. team in my life.

Correction though, Mike is on the list; 2nd team. but i hear what your saying. Pablo and those other players played very well this season.

Great post.

[FIUFAN]

MIKE MARTINEZ SHOULD OF MADE FIRST TEAM!!!! NOT KESS CARTER!!! CHECK THE STATS

[Mike's Mom]

Garrett, you are an incredible player - the diamond-in-the-rough has been chiseled and is shining bright. Congrats. You being POY shouldn't have even been a negotiable; it was a GIVEN. Jabari, you have many years ahead....what a way to start. Your team/fans are so proud of you. Arrojo, Patton, Behar, Flores, Barroso, Bermudez, Rembisz, Berkie, Marban, Poli, DiSimone, Fondon, Martinez, Alfonso, Jobe, Vargas, Shantz, Reilly, Joyce, Vasquez, Arboleya, Garcia, and all the rest - show 'em on the field who they should have shown more respect to....

[roary]

Natalie, I totally agree. Every local news outlet forgets there is a PUBLIC university around them. We get some so so love from radio but the overall coverage is pathetic. Winning commands respect. Turtle is pulling out from the abyss Danny Price left us. Miami is an event town. More winning seasons will eventually get us more bandwagon fans. If you are an FIU alum, you need to take pride in your school and be active. Sport is the easiest way. We to show up at the SBC tournament. No more 2 and out.

[FIUFan]

Great post Natalie; I'm with you.

Good luck to the Panthers today.

[Max]

Congrats to GWitt, Jabary, Mike and Marlon. All of them deserve the honor.

[Gooch7]

We are only 10min away from the first pitch against South Alabama.. This is the most important game.. We win this game our chances of getting to the Semis are pretty high.. Just remember that if we win back to back games we are automatically in the Semis..
But like most people know, lets take it one game at a time, one inning at a time, and in our case one hit at a time (possibly #49 and #50)... Lets go!

Go Golden Panthers

[c-UM]

its pretty sad that GW's POY article is nowhere to be found on the sports homepage online. You only see it when you click on the FIU section.

About 2 days ago, the herald had a kid who was suspended from some high school baseball games his senior for "throwing up gangs signs" (i know bc i went to a game to go watch him play and turned out he couldnt play for a couple games) as the main picture on the page for his ACC POY award. Yet today, GW isnt even a little tab in the breaking news or a little box underneath or to the side.

[c-UM]

Hate to sound like the complainer here, but Wittels POY, Jabari Freshman of Year, and Mike Martinez 2nd Team all conference article doesnt show up anywhere on Sports Homepage, yetttttt, wittels extends streak in FIU LOSS is on homepage within minutes of it happening. I guess there has to be some sort of negative involved for it to make it on homepage.

[FIU Fanatic]

I totally agree with c-UM assertion.

[Natalie G.]

Wow...that's sad...and we literally can't do anything about that as fans :(