RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech standouts
Parker Bates,
Hunter Wells and
Taylor Young all earned 2021 South-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team honors, as announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association on Wednesday afternoon.
Bates, a First Team All-Conference USA honoree, led Conference USA in on-base percentage (.471) while also leading the Bulldogs in RBI (62), triples (four) and HBPs (14). The Tyler, Texas native led the C-USA with a .406 batting average and a .523 on-base percentage in conference play.
LA Tech's longtime centerfielder committed no errors during his final season in a Bulldog uniform despite facing 143 chances. Bates set a new program record with 226 games played, making 201 consecutive starts to close out his storied career in Ruston.
Wells, another First Team All-Conference USA honoree, led Conference USA in batting average (.385), hits (101) and total bases (169). Wells set four records in his final season with the Bulldogs, including the career hits record and career triples record at Louisiana Tech.
The Katy, Texas native became the first Diamond Dog in program history to surpass 100 hits in a season with an infield single in his final collegiate at-bat. The base hit also broke Tech's single-season total bases record with Wells' 169
th total base of 2021. His 101 hits rank second in Division I this season.
Young, a Collegiate Baseball Third Team All-American and First Team All-Conference USA honoree, topped Conference USA with 83 runs scored in 2021. Young's 83 runs scored also ranks first in Division I before the start of the College World Series this weekend. He also ranked inside the top 10 in the C-USA in walks (46), hits (80), on-base percentage (.454) total baes (122) and HBPs (13).
In the field, Young did not commit an error through his first 54 games of the season at second base, finishing the year with a .993 fielding percentage and a team-high 32 doubles plays and 151 defensive assists.
Former Bulldog pitcher Logan Bailey is the most recent Tech player to earn ABCA NCAA Division I All-Regional First Team honors. Bailey finished his junior season with a 2.24 ERA and eight pitching victories in 2018.
The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Division I All-America Committee, which is chaired by Tommy Raffo of Arkansas State University.
| NCAA Div. I South All-Region First Team |
| Pos. |
Player |
Cl. |
School |
State |
| C |
Logan Tanner |
Fr. |
Mississippi State |
MS |
| 1B |
Tim Elko |
Sr. |
Ole Miss |
MS |
| 1B |
Tre' Morgan |
Fr. |
LSU |
LA |
| 2B |
Taylor Young |
Sr. |
Louisiana Tech |
LA |
| 3B |
Hunter Wells |
Sr. |
Louisiana Tech |
LA |
| SS |
Jacob Gonzalez |
Fr. |
Ole Miss |
MS |
| SS |
Collin Burns |
So. |
Tulane |
LA |
| OF |
Tanner Allen |
Jr. |
Mississippi State |
MS |
| OF |
Kevin Graham |
Jr. |
Ole Miss |
MS |
| OF |
Parker Bates |
Sr. |
Louisiana Tech |
LA |
| OF |
Dylan Crews |
Fr. |
LSU |
LA |
| DH |
Charlie Fischer |
So. |
Southern Miss |
MS |
| P |
Doug Nikhazy |
Jr. |
Ole Miss |
MS |
| P |
Landon Marceaux |
Jr. |
LSU |
LA |
| P |
Hunter Stanley |
Sr. |
Southern Miss |
MS |
| P |
Will Dion |
So. |
McNeese State |
LA |
| RP |
Kevin Kopps |
Sr. |
Arkansas |
AR |
