Cowser named SLC Player of the Year

FRISCO – Colton Cowser was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year on Monday, highlighting three Sam Houston Bearkats to earn all-Southland Conference honors, per a release from league officials.

Along with being named the Player of the Year, Cowser was also named to the all-SLC first team as an outfielder and was voted to the all-defensive team as the top defensive center fielder in the league.

Cowser was joined by Jack Rogers and Dominic Robinson on the all-conference teams with Rogers being named a second team outfielder and Robinson landing on the third team as a starting pitcher. It is the second time in Rogers' career to earn all-SLC honors, while it is the first for Robinson.

Despite Sam Houston's success on the diamond over the years, Cowser is only the second Bearkat to ever be named the league's top player, joining Anthony Azar who earned the honor in 2014. The Cy Ranch HS product was named the SLC Hitter of the Year as a true freshman in 2019, becoming the first Kat in program history to earn that honor as well.

A projected first-round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, Cowser has been outstanding and consistent throughout the season, hitting .357 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI and 52 runs scored in 49 games this year. He is also 15 for 18 in stolen bases, leading the Kats in all of those categories.

The 14 home runs is tied for the league lead and are the most by a Bearkat since Mark Wyatt (2009) and Bobby Verbick (2007 & 2008) each had 14 over a decade ago. He has also drawn 36 free passes this year with 12 being intentional walks.

For his Bearkat career he is hitting .347 with 22 home runs, 27 doubles, eight triples, 106 RBI and 116 runs scored in 119 games.

Rogers, meanwhile, has paired with Cowser to form arguably the most dangerous tandem in the Southland this season. The junior from Klein Collins HS put together a career year in 2021 and enters next week's Southland Conference Tournament with career highs in batting average (.351), home runs (12) and RBI (45). He has also hit 17 doubles and scored 37 runs.

Currently on a 13-game hit streak, Rogers' 17 two-baggers are tied for third in the Southland while his 12 homers are tied for fourth. He has had a pair of multi-home run games this season, hitting three longballs in a win at Central Arkansas earlier in the year and smashing two on Saturday in the regular-season finale at Nicholls.

For Robinson, the selection to the third team is his first all-conference honors of his career. A preseason all-SLC second team choice after a breakout start to the 2020 season, the lefty from Tomball has been arguably the Kats' most steady starter in 2021.

He has logged 55.0 innings over 11 starts this year, going 4-1 with a 3.60 ERA. Over that span he has struck out 61 batters and walked just 13 while holding opposing hitters to a .247 average.

He struck out at least five hitters in seven of his 11 outings and struck out a season high 10 hitters in just 5.1 innings against Little Rock on May 8.

The Bearkats enter this week's Southland Conference Tournament in Hammond, La., as the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. with the game to be aired on ESPN+.

All games of the tournament will be played at Pat Kennelly Diamond at Alumni Field on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana. The Kats will be joined in their half of the bracket by No. 1 Abilene Christian and No. 8 Lamar.

Cowser named SLC Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Colton Cowser

Dominic Robinson

Jack Rogers

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