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TOP JOBS

By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer

The Tyler Junior College baseball team, coming off its second straight league championship, placed two players on the All-Metro Athletic Conference first team.

Sophomore pitchers Michael LaCourse and Matt Kinard were voted onto the 17-member squad, which was released Wednesday. Both TJC players were prominent pitchers on last year’s team that captured the Division III national championship.

This season, LaCourse is currently 8-4 with one save and a 3.29 ERA. The Grapevine High School graduate has struck out 53 batters in 65 2-3 innings, and teams batted only .218 off the right-hander.

“Michael LaCourse started the first half of our season, when we needed him to start, and he went to the bullpen when we needed him to go to the bullpen,” said TJC head coach Jon Groth.

“The fact that he was voted first team says a lot for the respect he earned from the coaches in this conference.”

Kinard became a key member of the starting rotation and at one point was leading the conference in ERA. He finished the regular season 5-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 66 1-3 innings.

The Klein High School graduate has 43 strikeouts and 24 walks in 12 appearances.

“Matt Kinard had a solid year in establishing himself as our Friday starter, and it was nice to see him recognized in this way,” Groth said.

The Apaches also had five players recognized as honorable mention. They were freshman second baseman Wes Smith, sophomore shortstop Davis Page, freshman third baseman Jordon Vierra, freshman outfielder Colby Welsh, and sophomore catcher Mike McCollum.

All five players hit well over .300 for the regular season, led by Welsh’s .398 with 18 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 47 RBIs.

Vierra hit .389 with 11 doubles, two triples, three homers and 38 RBIs, followed by Smith at .385 with 14 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 35 RBIs.

McCollum is second on the team with 44 RBIs. He also hit .361 with 13 doubles and two homers.

Page, the leadoff hitter, batted .319 with six doubles, one triple, one home run and 28 runs driven in.

Richland, which shared the conference title with TJC and Eastfield, put the most players on the first team with five.

The Thunderducks swept the superlatives with Travis Latz getting Most Valuable Player and Phillip Clinard the Pitcher of the Year.

Latz, a sophomore from Tomball, had a monster season with 18 homers and 79 RBIs to go with a .446 batting average.

Clinard, a freshman from Rockwall, had seven complete games and three shutouts. He went 9-1 with a 3.08 ERA and 83 strikeouts.

Metro Athletic All-Conference
Baseball Team
Most Valuable Player —

Travis Latz, Richland, Soph.

Pitcher of the Year — Phillip Clinard, Richland, Fr.

First Team

Infielders

Jon Masch, 1B, Richland, Soph.; Ty Wilschetz, 2B, Cedar Valley, Soph.; Robert Barbosa, SS, Richland, Soph.; Josh Christenson, 3B, Richland, Fr.

Outfielders

Quinton Haynes, Brookhaven, Fr.; Bryan Smith, Eastfield, Fr.; Evan Segler, North Lake, Soph.

Catcher

Travis Graves, Eastfield, Soph.

Pitchers

Michael LaCourse, Tyler, Soph.; Bobby Joe Barrett, Cedar Valley, Fr.; Matt Kinard, Tyler, Soph.; Brent Villa, Brookhaven, Soph.

Relief Pitcher

Jonathan Reeder, Eastfield, Soph.

Designated Hitter

Clint Dunham, North Lake, Soph.

Utility

Drew Hallford, North Lake, Fr.