PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the league’s All-Conference teams and winners of its major awards for the 2019 season. Tulane junior third baseman Kody Hoese was named Player of the Year, while ECU lefthander Jake Agnos was named Pitcher of the Year. ECU also took home Coach of the Year honors with head coach Cliff Godwin receiving the award for the second time in four years. Outfielder Hunter Goodman of Memphis was named Newcomer Position Player of the Year, and Devon Roedahl of Houston took home the Newcomer Pitcher of the Year award.
The Pirates had nine All-Conference selections, including six on the first team. UConn southpaw Mason Feole earned his third-straight first team All-Conference honor, as six Huskies received All-Conference recognition. ECU’s Spencer Brickhouse and Bryant Packard, along with Wichita State’s Luke Ritter were first team All-Conference selections for a second-straight year. Houston had five All-Conference selections with four on the second team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kody Hoese * Jr. * 3B * Tulane * Griffith, Ind.
Hoese has had a record year, establishing himself as one of the all-time top hitters in the American Athletic Conference. Batting a conference-high .388, Hoese leads The American in hits (87), runs scored (69), home runs (23), total bases (177), on-base percentage (.484) and slugging percentage (.790). His 177 total bases lead the nation and are an American single-season record along with his 23 home runs. The junior third baseman ranks among the top 20 in the nation in eight offensive categories. Hoese has helped power the league’s most elite offense, as Tulane ranks atop The American in 10 offensive categories. Hoese has had 26 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games, sporting a 19-game hitting streak and 35-game on-base streak this season. Hoese was named a semifinalist for both the 2019 Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. He also earned National Hitter of the Week honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball. Both D1 Baseball and Perfect Game named Hoese to their Midseason All-American lists as a first team selection.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jake Agnos * Jr. * LHP * ECU * Haymarket, Va.
Agnos leads The American with a 2.06 ERA. The junior southpaw struck out a conference-record 124 batters (ninth in the nation) in 83.0 innings pitched this season. Agnos went 8-2 in 14 starts on the mound, averaging 13.45 strikeouts per nine innings, which is ranked ninth nationally. He scattered 19 earned runs, 61 hits and 34 walks, holding batters a .199 average. Agnos has reached double digits in strikeouts five times this season and has pitched seven or more innings in four appearances. Agnos hasn’t given up an earned run in his past four outings and last 31 innings pitched. He leads the conference in wins and strikeouts this season to help bolster the top pitching staff in The American.
NEWCOMER POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Hunter Goodman * Fr. * DH/OF * Memphis * Arlington, Tenn.
Goodman has established himself as one of the top rookies in the nation, ranking top 10 in the conference in batting average (.332), RBIs (66), hits (53), runs scored (50), home runs (13), total bases (134) and slugging percentage (.585). Goodman’s 66 RBIs lead The American and rank 11th in the NCAA this season. Goodman has posted 24 multi-hit games and drove in multiple runs in 18 contests this season to lead the Tigers. He tallied three hits in six games and drove in four or more runs six times this season.
NEWCOMER PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Devon Roedahl * Jr. * RHP * Houston * Beaumont, Texas
In 29 appearances this season, Roedahl has brought depth to Houston’s pitching staff. The junior righthander holds a 3.64 ERA with seven wins and four saves out of the bullpen. Holding batters to a .217 average, Roedahl has struck out 59 in 59.1 innings pitched, while surrendering 22 walks, 24 earned runs and 49 hits. Roedahl shutout his opponents in 17 outings. He ranks third in the league in wins and appearances and fifth in opponent’s batting average.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Cliff Godwin * ECU * Fifth Season
After leading his team to a 42-13 overall record and 20-4 conference mark, Godwin earns his second-career American Coach of the Year nod (2015). In his fifth year at the helm of the Pirates, Godwin guided his team to its first American regular-season title and eight-straight American series wins. Godwin’s team became the first in American Athletic Conference history to win 20 league games, taking the top seed in the conference’s championship seven games ahead of second-place Cincinnati. ECU was the fifth team in the NCAA to reach 40 wins this year, and has been ranked as high as sixth nationally with a top-five RPI ranking.
2019 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL AWARDS
Player of the Year – Kody Hoese, 3B, Tulane
Pitcher of the Year – Jake Agnos, LHP, ECU
Newcomer Position Player of the Year – Hunter Goodman, OF, Memphis
Newcomer Pitcher of the Year – Devon Roedahl, RHP, Houston
Coach of the Year – Cliff Godwin, ECU
ALL-CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM
P - Mason Feole
1, UConn, Jr.
P - Jake Agnos, ECU, Jr.
P - Jake Kuchmaner, ECU, So.
P - Clay Aguilar, Houston, So.
RP - Jacob Wallace, UConn, Jr.*
C - Jake Washer, ECU, R-Jr.
1B - Joe Genord
2, USF, Sr.
2B - Matthew Mika
2, UCF, Sr.
SS - Anthony Prato
2, UConn, Jr.
3B - Kody Hoese, Tulane, Jr.
OF - Alec Burleson, ECU, So.
OF - Bryant Packard
1, ECU, Jr.*
OF - Hunter Goodman, Memphis, Fr.
DH - Spencer Brickhouse
1, ECU, Jr.
UTY -Luke Ritter
1, Wichita State, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
P - Grant Schuermann, UCF, R-Sr.
P - Devon Roedahl, Houston, Jr.
P - Chris Durham, Memphis, R-Jr.
P - Kaleb Roper, Tulane, R-Sr.
RP - Fred Villarreal, Houston, Jr.
C - Frankie Niemann, Tulane, So.
1B - Spencer Brickhouse
1, ECU, Jr.
1B - Joe Davis
2, Houston, Sr.
2B - Michael Woodworth, UConn, Sr.
SS - Turner Brown, ECU, Sr.
3B - Jared Triolo, Houston, Jr.
OF - Ray Alejo
2, UCF, R-Jr.
OF - John Toppa, UConn, Sr.
OF - Hudson Haskin, Tulane, Fr.
DH - Christian Fedko, UConn, So.
UTY - Alec Burleson, ECU, So.
* unanimous selection
1 2 indicates previous selections to the all-conference first or second team