SAU’s Schroeder Makes Gulf South Conference’s Top Ten

By: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas third baseman and starting pitcher James Schroeder (Montgomery, Texas) has been named as one of the Gulf South Conference’s “Top Ten” award winners for the 2008-09 academic/athletic year. The award recognizes the top five male and top five female student-athletes across the conference, with the top male and female each receiving the Commissioner’s Trophy, the GSC’s most prestigious honor.

A two-year starter via Blinn (Texas) College, Schroeder hit .344 this season with 14 doubles, led the GSC and tied a school record with 88 RBI and finished third in the league with 19 home runs. Schroeder was equally impressive on the mound, posting an 8-2 record with a 3.38 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 80 innings. He earned both GSC West Division player and pitcher of the week honors this year, becoming one of only six players in conference history to win both in the same season. Schroeder’s play garnered him a unanimous first team All-GSC selection at third base and a second team spot as a starting pitcher, and he was also named to the league’s all-tournament team.

Schroeder helped lead the Muleriders to the national No. 1 ranking for the majority of the season, including the top spot in all three polls on two occasions, a share of their first-ever conference West Division title and to their second GSC championship. SAU was the top-ranked team in the South Region and hosted the regional tournament for the first time. They set an all-time mark for wins with their 52-11 record and finished the year ranked fourth in the nation. Schroeder was a second team selection on both the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association and American Baseball Coaches’ Association/Rawlings All-South Region teams, and received Southern Arkansas’ Auburn Smith Award as the top male student-athlete at the university.

Also excelling in the classroom, Schroeder posted a 3.55 GPA in physical education, wellness and leisure. His academic success earned him a first team spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI team and a selection to the GSC All-Academic Team, as well as the GSC Academic Honor Roll.

Schroeder was selected in the 33rd round of Major League Baseball’s draft by the New York Mets and is currently playing in the Mets’ class A short-season for the Brooklyn Cyclones in the New York Penn League.

The “Top Ten” student-athletes will be honored and the two Commissioner’s Trophy winners announced at the GSC’s Annual Awards Banquet Thursday at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front in Pensacola Beach, Fla.