SAN ANGELO – Players representing each team from throughout the 10 seasons of Angelo State baseball were selected by fans for the All-Decade Team which was announced on Thursday and will be recognized before Saturday's 4 p.m. doubleheader at Foster Field. The team of 15 includes eight all-American selections, 27 All-Lone Star Conference selections and two Gold Glove winners.
Voting Breakdown
"It's been an honor to coach this program because of the people who have been a part of it," said
Kevin Brooks, who has led the program since its inception in 2005. "Our players are great people who have helped me become a better coach and a better person. Angelo State is a great university and I'm privileged to have had the opportunity to spearhead this program and hopefully we'll keep improving and achieving new goals every year. I'm really proud of what has happened here over the past 10 years."
The program quickly established itself as national power and is 359-199 all-time entering this weekend's four-game series against Eastern New Mexico. ASU, which started playing baseball as a university in 2005, won the 2006 Lone Star Conference South Division and then reached the 2007 Division II College World Series by winning the 2007 NCAA DII South Central Regional Championship. The Rams have won the LSC Championship two times (2007, 2012) and have advanced to the regional tournament four times (2007, 2009, 2012, 2013).
Click here for a list of all Angelo State baseball players.
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ANGELO STATE BASEBALL ALL-DECADE TEAM |
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Chris Adamson (2009-10; .408 avg., 19 HR, 123 RBI, 172 hits, 27 2B, 2-time All-American, 2-time All-LSC)
An Australia native, Adamson played two seasons at Angelo State after transferring from Clarendon College. He was a two-time all-Lone Star Conference for the Rams. He is the all-time program leader with a .408 average for a player who played more than one season. He is fourth all-time with a .611 slugging percentage, fifth with a .480 on-base percentage and 172 total hits and third with 19 home runs. Adamson hit .409 during his junior season in 2009 and .407 as a senior in 2010. Currently playing professionally in Australia, he finished his career at ASU with 172 hits, including 27 doubles, a triple and 19 home runs. He also had 123 RBI and scored 102 runs. Defensively, he threw out 16 runners attempting to steal which is fourth all-time and 688 total putouts. Adamson and
Lee Neumann are the only two-time all-Americans in program history.
Brooks on Adamson: "He was one of our most consistent hitters and could also hit for power. He was also really good defensively and was always a hard worker for us. His biggest strength was he was consistently good. He's one of two two-time all-Americans in our program which says a lot for him."
Clay Calfee (2006-08; .404 avg., 28 HR, 7 3B, 171 RBI, 239 hits, 55 2B, 97 BB, 29 HBP, 28 SB, All-American, Gold Glove, 3-time All-LSC)
A three-year player for the Rams before being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the MLB draft in 2008, Calfee came to San Angelo from Conroe and emerged as one of the best players in program history. Calfee owns multiple ASU records, including 239 total hits, 55 doubles, 171 runs scored, 171 RBI, 97 walks and 392 total bases. A 6-foot-6 left handed hitter, he hit .329 as a freshman, .397 as a sophomore and .418 in his junior season. He hit a career-high 13 home runs during the 2008 season after hitting nine home runs, 18 doubles and three triples during the 2007 season when he helped to lead the Rams to the Division II College World Series. He is second all-time with 28 career home runs. Defensively, Calfee had a .990 fielding percentage and is the program leader with 1,039 putouts. He also went 5-4 as a pitcher with 55 strikeouts in 62.1 innings of work.
Brooks on Calfee: "Clay brought this program national attention for the first time. He made an amazing transformation from the time he got here to the time he left. He helped in a lot of ways and helped put our program on the map. He hold a lot of our records here and had a tremendous career."
Steven Allred (2007-08; .361, 9 HR, 5 3B, 95 RBI, 177 hits, 41 2B, 26 HBP, 44 SB, All-American, All-LSC)
A Midlothian native, Allred joined the Rams in the 2007 season after playing at UT-Pan American and McClennan Community College. Allred finished his two-year career at ASU with a .361 batting average which ranks 11th all-time. He ranks fourth all-time with 41 doubles and 62 walks, while he is ninth all-time with 95 RBI. He hit .408 in the 2007 season to help the Rams make the NCAA DII College World series where he started all 71 games in the season when he earned all-American honor. Allred is fifth all-time with 44 stolen bases.
Brooks on Allred: "Steven was unusual for a second baseman because he had a great combination of power and speed. Defensively he was great and had a really strong arm to complete big-time plays. He was just a great player."
Austin Lasprilla (2009-10; .353 avg., 12 HR, 4 3B, 144 hits, 96 RBI, 35 2B, All-LSC)
A Houston native, Lasprilla joined the Rams after playing at Angelina Junior College. Lasprilla earned LSC honors after hitting .360 as a junior and finished his two-year career at ASU with a .353 batting average and with a .917 fielding percentage with 209 assists and 132 putouts. He is fifth all-time with 35 doubles in his career and 10th in program history with 12 home runs. He hit six home runs each season he played at ASU and is eighth all-time with 96 RBI. He is also eighth with 113 runs scored for the Rams.
Brooks on Lasprilla: "He was a tremendous offensive player who could run and hit for power. He brought a positive demeanour to the field every day and was one of those players that just made you smile watching him compete."
Toby Semler (2011-12; .322 avg., 4 HR, 2 3B, 110 hits, 64 RBI, 27 2B, All-Region, All-LSC)
A Mansfield native, Semler played two seasons at Angelo State after transferring from Midland College. A utility player as a junior, Semler helped lead the Rams to the NCAA DII South Central tournament as a senior at third base. He earned all-region and all-LSC honors as a senior and served as a student assistant in the 2013 season. Semler finished his career with a .322 batting average after hitting .348 with 18 doubles, three triples and three home runs as a senior. For his career, he had 27 doubles which ranks 13th all-time and had three triples, four home runs and 64 RBI.
Brooks on Semler: "Toby was an extremely versatile player for us and made himself into a great player. He was a gamer who went out and competed every day for us. He added a lot with his leadership also."
Travis Lites (2008-11; .380 avg., 7 HR, 4 3B, 195 hits, 106 RBI, 39 2B, 28 HBP, All-LSC)
Lites was a four-year player for the Rams after playing at Rockwall High School. A 5-foot-11 utility player to begin his career, Lites did not play early in his freshman season but found a permanent spot in the lineup finishing with a .533 batting average with five doubles, a triple and a home runs in 15 games in his first season. He would go on to be one of the most productive hitters in program with a .380 career batting average which ranks seventh all-time. His 39 doubles rank fourth all-time, while his 145 runs scored is second in the record books. He is sixth all-time with 106 RBI and 59 walks.
Brooks on Lites: "He was a four-year guy who sparked us as a freshman. He could flat out hit despite not being the biggest or strongest player on the field. He ended up being a great player for us by working his butt off."
Lee Neumann (2012-13; .360 avg., 13 HR, 16 3B, 152 hits, 91 RBI, 2-time All-American, 2-time Region Player of Year, 2-time LSC Player of Year)
A two-time all-American, Neumann came to Angelo State after two seasons at Blinn College. A Brenham native, Neumann is the only player in ASU history to earn LSC Player of the Year, an award he won both seasons he played in San Angelo. A center fielder, he finished his career with a .360 batting average which ranks 11th all-time. He is the program leader with 16 career triples and is ninth with 31 doubles. He finished his career with 13 home runs (T6) and had 91 RBI. His 39 stolen bases ranks seventh in the program's history.
Brooks on Neumann: "Lee was one of the most competitive players we've ever had and became a real fan favorite by the way he played the game. People appreciated his speed and power that he combined with enthusiasm for the game of baseball. He was fun to coach and fun to watch."
Ronnie Gaines (2005-06; .384 avg., 6 HR, 6 3B, 133 hits, 97 RBI, 23 2B, 45 SB, All-American, 2-time All-LSC)
Angelo State's first all-American, Gaines arrived at Angelo State after playing at McLennan Community College. He was a member of ASU's first team in 2005 where he started all 50 games in that season. He hit .344 as junior with 53 hits before busting out with a .417 batting average that included 66 hits as a senior to earn all-American status. Gaines finished his career with a .384 batting average, 23 doubles, six triples and 11 home runs. His 97 RBI ranks seventh all-time and his 45 stolen bases is fourth all-time.
Brooks on Gaines: "He's the Mayor. He walked on and became our first all-American ever. He was a guys with a lot of great baseball tools and did a great job of working hard every day to put it all together. He continued getting better when he graduated from Angelo State and parlayed that into a successful pro career. He's stayed in the community and is doing great things."
Ryan Greer (2012-13; .338 avg., 8 HR, 9 3B, 138 hits, 82 RBI, 19 2B, 52 SB, 28 HBP, Gold Glove, 2-time All-LSC)
A Gold Glove winner in the field, Greer struck fear in the opposition for two seasons at ASU after playing at Paradise Valley in Arizona his first two seasons. Greer roamed left field as a junior before moving to center field after an injury to Neumann in the 2013 season. Greer finished his career with a .338 batting average and is third all-time with 52 stolen bases. Greer stole 29 bases as a junior and 23 as a senior. He had 19 career doubles and nine career triples which ranks third all-time. He started all 115 games while he was at Angelo State and is currently the team's student assistant coach.
Brooks on Greer: "Ryan was a consummate hard worker who grinded out every day to become a better baseball player. He became a tremendous player by sheer determination and effort."
Keith Towne (2009-10; .362 avg., 33 HR, 158 hits, 144 RBI, 31 2B, 61 BB, 31 HBP, All-American, All-Region, 2-time All-LSC)
The most powerful hitter in Angelo State history, Towne joined the Rams after playing two seasons at Lamar following a stellar high school career at Katy Taylor. Towne established the program record with 26 home runs in the 2009 season where he helped lead the team to the NCAA DII South Central tournament. Towne would hit six more home runs in his senior season and finished his career with a program record 33 home runs. Towne also hit for average though, finishing his career with a .362 batting average after hitting .351 in his junior season and .342 as a senior. He is second all-time with 144 RBI and is tied for ninth with 31 doubles. His .664 slugging percentage is the program record and his .468 on-base percentage ranks sixth. He was an all-region player as junior and earned conference honors both seasons he was at ASU.
Brooks on Towne: "He was a true power hitter who hit the ball to every part of the ball park. We have always played an aggressive style of baseball, but with him we were able to sit back and watch him hit home runs. He is the guy who made me like the home run."
Joe Key (2006-09; 17-12, 4.08 ERA, 5 CG, 16 SV, 212 K, 62 BB, 249.1 IP, 2-time All-LSC)
A right-hander from Round Rock, Key is the all-time saves leader in Angelo State history with 212 strikeouts, 16 career saves and 249.1 innings pitched. He was a two-time all-LSC selection and finished his career with a 17-12 record and a 4.08 ERA during an era when hitters ruled the day. Key is second in program history with 78 appearances with 24 starts. Key recorded 46 of his strikeouts looking. A four-year pitcher for the Rams, Key had a career-high eight saves in his junior season after having four saves and six wins in the 2007 season when ASU advanced to the NCAA DII College World Series. He limited opponents to a .285 career batting average.
Brooks on Key: "Joe was a walk-on and was a part of the first group we ever had here at Angelo State. He came in throwing about 82 and left throwing over 90. He developed physically and was a tremendously versatile pitcher. I remember him coming into the game against St. Ed's in the 17-inning game and threw nine complete. He came back the next day and got the save to get us to the World Series. That split-finger fastball was a great pitch for him."
Kenny Elkind (2008-09; 17-6, 4.03 ERA, 8 CG, 146 K, 44 BB, 158.2 IP, All-American, All-Region, 2-time All-LSC)
A two-year pitcher for Angelo State after two seasons at LaSalle University, Elkind established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in program history with 146 career strikeouts and a 17-6 overall record. As a junior, Elkind went 7-2 in the 2008 season with 58 strikeouts and only 16 walks, while he followed it up by going 10-4 with 88 strikeouts and 28 walks as a senior. A two-time all-LSC selection, Elkind is the only Ram pitcher to earn all-American honors. His 17 wins are tied with Joe Key for second all-time in program history, while his 146 strikeouts are third in program history. He threw 158.2 innings in his career.
Brooks on Elkind: "He is a very similar pitcher to
Jake Feckley. He was always a great worker and had tremendous stuff on the mound. He always gave us a chance to win by going out to the mound and battling with every pitch he threw."
Brett Nightingale (2007-08; 11-4, 4.33 ERA, 5 CG, 60 K, 43 BB, 106.0 IP, 2-time All-LSC)
A Tulsa, Okla., native, Nightingale contributed as a hitter and pitcher in his two seasons after transferring from Fort Scott Community College. Nightingale went 11-4 in his two seasons at Angelo State with 60 strikeouts. His 4.33 career ERA ranks ninth all-time in program history. As a hitter, Nightingale hit .304 with 15 doubles and eight home runs in his career. He went 4-0 in his junior season with 23 strikeouts to help lead the Rams to the NCAA DII College World series in 2007.
Brooks on Nightingale: "Brett was really versatile as a pitcher and hitter for us. He gave us a chance to win every time he stepped onto the field for our program."
Jake Feckley (2012-current; 15-8, 3.22 ERA, 6 CG, 3 SV, 112 K, 34 BB, 139.2 IP, 2-time All-LSC)
The all-time winningest pitcher in Angelo State history, Feckley is the only active player on the All-Decade Team. A senior from Wylie, Feckley is currently 19-10 with a program best 2.78 ERA through 194.1 innings pitched at ASU. The right-hander transferred to ASU following throwing for Texas A&M as a freshman. He is currently second all-time with 154 strikeouts after recording nine strikeouts last Friday against Texas A&M-Kingsville – matching a career high he has established three times in his career. Feckley is a two-time all-LSC selection for the Rams after going 5-3 as a sophomore, 10-5 as a junior and is at 4-2 this season. He started his senior season with 32.1 innings with no earned runs and also has three saves on his resume.
Brooks on Feckley: "He is one of the most consistent pitchers we've ever had and we're going to miss him when his career ends here. He just goes out and gives you a chance to win every day."
Mike Weatherly (2012-13; 13-6, 2.85 ERA, 9 SV, 1 CG, 109 K, 43 BB, 120.0 IP, 2-time All-LSC)
A right-hander from Mesquite, Weatherly was a dominant and versatile pitcher for the Rams in his two seasons after transferring from Eastfield College. Weatherly finished his career as a two-time all-LSC performer after serving as the team's closer as a junior and a starter his senior season. He established a single-season program record with nine saves and helped lead the Rams to the 2012 LSC Championship and to the regional tournament as junior. As a senior, Weatherly went 8-3 with two of his wins coming in the postseason. He finished his career with 107 strikeouts which ranks seventh all-time and his 2.85 ERA is second in the record books. He finished his career with 43 appearances and 44 strikeouts looking.
Brooks on Weatherly: "He was the best closer in the conference his first season here and the next season he became one of the best starters. He won huge games for us in the postseason and was always a big-game pitcher. He's still playing and I think he has a chance to keep playing for a while."
