WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball sophomore reliever Troy Montemayor was named a first-team 2016 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Midwest All-Region selection on Wednesday.
The lone relief pitcher on the region’s 16-man first team list, Montemayor gives BU its first ABCA All-Region choice since having four in 2012 (Josh Ludy (first team), Josh Turley (first team), Logan Vick (first team) and Trent Blank (second team)). Montemayor is Baylor’s 32nd all-time ABCA All-Region selection.
Excelling in his first season as closer, the San Antonio native leads the Big 12 and ranks tied for seventh in the country with 14 saves, despite the Bears’ season being over since May 26. Montemayor converted his first eight career save attempts and 14 of 15 this season to earn a first-team All-Big 12 nod. In 24 appearances, he posted a 1-1 record and 0.78 ERA, giving up just four runs on 15 hits and nine walks with 22 strikeouts over 23 innings while holding hitters to a .188 batting average.
Montemayor, who is also one of 43 semifinalists for the 2016 Gregg Olson Award (breakout player of the year), is the ninth player in BU history to record 10 or more saves in a season (first since Josh Michalec set the single-season Baylor and Big 12 records with 21 saves in 2014) and ranks tied for third on BU's single-season saves list and is eighth on BU's career list.
The teams are voted on by members of the ABCA and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America Committee. ABCA/Rawlings All-Region first-team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors. ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans will be announced on Saturday, June 18.
The ABCA All-America committee is chaired by Dean Ehehalt of Monmouth University and also includes head coaches Mike Stone (Massachusetts), Brian O'Connor (Virginia), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt), Steve Jaksa (Central Michigan), Dan Heefner (Dallas Baptist), Tommy Raffo (Arkansas State) and George Horton (Oregon).
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 8,200 members represent all 50 states and 23 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth.
