RUSTON – Graduate right-handed pitcher
Blake Hooks has been named to Conference USA's Preseason All-Conference team, per the league office's release Thursday afternoon. Along with Hooks' selection, Louisiana Tech baseball was picked second in the CUSA Preseason Poll behind Dallas Baptist.
The Bulldog closer is back for his third year in Ruston and is coming off a stellar 2025 campaign. The Petal, Mississippi native led the conference with nine saves, which put him fifth all-time for single-season saves in program history, along with holding a 3-0 record through 25 appearances and boasting a 2.78 ERA.
In his LA Tech career, Hooks has a perfect 4-0 record through 50 total appearances out of the pen and fanned 76 batters through 67.2 innings and held opponents to a .236 average.
The Pearl River CC transfer saw four of his nine saves last season come in his first five appearance of the season. The first one came in the second game of opening weekend against Maine before earning his first win of the year in the series finale with one run allowed through three innings.
Hooks saw three-straight outings following the win where he earned a save (at Southern Miss, vs. Memphis, vs. South Alabama) including an efficient 2.1 innings allowing no runs with four strikeouts against the Tigers on March 1.
He saw a career outing later in the season on the road at Western Kentucky, where he tossed a stellar four frames against the Hilltoppers allowing no earned runs with three hits, a walk and fanning seven batters.
The Bulldogs being selected second in the CUSA Preseason Poll marked the seventh-straight season LA Tech was selected among the top three in the preseason poll; Tech has not been picked lower than third since the 2018 season when they were selected to finish seventh.
2026 CUSA Baseball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
Dallas Baptist (9) |
141 |
| 2. |
LA Tech (1) |
111 |
| 3. |
Kennesaw State |
108 |
| 4. |
Jax State (1) |
102 |
| 5. |
WKU |
97 |
| 6. |
Missouri State |
90 |
| 7. |
Liberty |
85 |
| 8. |
FIU |
56 |
| 9. |
New Mexico State (1) |
45 |
| 10. |
Middle Tennessee |
38 |
| 11. |
Delaware |
37 |
| 12. |
Sam Houston |
26 |
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