Riley named preseason All-America
12/20/2009 2:30:00 AM | Baseball
Riley, a third-team selection, returns for his junior season after leading the NCAA in hits last year with 111. He became the first Bearkat baseball player to lead the NCAA in any statistical category.
"I think Braeden is very deserving of this recognition," Sam Houston State head coach Mark Johnson said. "He put up great numbers last season and he also played great defensively for us as well."
In 2009, Riley batted .387 for the Bearkats and finished the year with 37 multiple-hit games in 60 contests last season. During a 16-game hitting streak in the middle of the season, he batted .506 (38-for-75). The streak included five consecutive three-hit games.
Riley capped the regular season for the Bearkats with a four-hit performance in the Southland Conference Championship game at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi. After striking out in his first at bat, he followed with an RBI triple and then three singles. He also scored a run in the Kats' 7-1 win over Texas State-San Marcos, the third-straight SLC Championship for the Bearkats.
The 111 and hits broke both the Sam Houston State and Southland Conference records for most hits in a single season. Both records were previously held by another former Bearkat, Keith Stein.
This group of three teams on the NCBWA All-America list includes 18 different Division I conferences and 39 different schools. Riley was one of three Southland Conference players named to the All-America team, joining Chris Franklin (Southeastern Louisiana) and Michael Choice (UT-Arlington).
The Bearkats will open the 2010 season on the road with a three-game series against TCU on Feb. 19. The home-opener for the Kats will be Feb. 23 against Prairie View A&M.
