SAN ANGELO – Angelo State shortstop
Zach Cohen and catcher
Andrew LaCombe have been selected by their teammates as the Rams' team captains for the 2012 season which starts at 5 p.m. on Friday against Ouachita Baptist at Foster Field.
Cohen, a senior from Houston, is coming off a junior year where he hit .382 and led the Rams with 25 walks and 25 hit-by-pitches. In his first year at ASU after playing at Temple College as a freshman and sophomore, Cohen started all 47 games last season and was named an All-American by the Jewish Sports Review.
LaCombe, a junior from Southlake, is in his first year at Angelo State after playing two years at Texas State. Slated to start at catcher for the Rams this season, LaCombe was a Class 5A All-State and District 6-5A Offensive Player of the Year in high school.
Andrew LaCombe
On being selected as a team captain:
It was a really big honor and I was really surprised when I got named one of the team captains. I try to pick people up as best I can. I learned that from my father. He is a lead by example person who doesn't speak too much, but when he does it has a lot of meaning. That's the leadership style I try to emphasize.
ASU head coach Kevin Brooks
On Andrew LaCombe and his leadership for the Rams:
Andrew is great at blocking balls, calling the game and handling pitchers. He provides energy back there and is a player that other guys feed off of. He was voted a team captain as soon as he got here which says a lot about the type of teammate he is. He swung the bat with some power during the fall and is going to limit our opponents with his ability on defense.
Zach Cohen
On being selected as a team captain:
It means a great deal because all these guys work so hard and to have them think highly of me like that is a really great honor.
ASU head coach Kevin Brooks
On Zach Cohen and his leadership for the Rams:
He works tremendously hard to prepare himself for games. He is not the biggest guy in the world and doesn't have the strongest arm. Scouts would pick him a part, but the guy is a winner and finds ways to make the guys around him better. He may not have the arm to play shortstop but he finds a way to play the position as well as anyone can. We are very lucky to have Zach in our program.
Angelo State opens its season with a four-game series from Feb. 3-5 against Ouachita Baptist at Foster Field. The Rams are 7-3 all-time against the Arkadelphia, Ark., university – including beating the Tigers once in NCAA Division II tournament play. The Rams will play a 20-game non-conference schedule before opening Lone Star Conference play at Texas A&M-Kingsville on March 16.
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