[Baseball] Baseball Falcon Trio Named All-KCAC
WICHITA, Kan. – Friends University junior first baseman Troy Puga (JR/Pueblo, Colo.), senior outfielder Emilio Navarro (SR/Porterville, Calif. ) and junior pitcher Austin Eggleston (JR/Arlington, Texas) have each been selected to the All-KCAC Baseball team, the league announced today (May 1). Puga earned first-team honors, with Navarro and Eggleston each being honorable-mention performers.
Puga, a unanimous first-team choice, fueled the Falcons' offensive attack this season. He led the team in an assortment of categories, including batting average (.374), hits (68), doubles (14) and slugging percentage (.588), while finishing tied for the team-lead with seven home runs. His hit total is also fifth in the KCAC.
"I'm very happy for all three of these young men," Friends head coach Adam Neisius said. "Puga had a great year for us – he had the highest conference batting average of any player in the KCAC and was our most consistent hitter all year."
Navarro, a Gold Glove award winner, provided the team with another reliable power source by also smacking seven homers, highlighted by a game-winning, three-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Falcons a 5-3, series-clinching victory at Ottawa University (3/17). He also batted .312 and led the team in runs (39) while getting on base at a team-leading .476 clip.
"Emilio had another solid year in all phases – was a staple in the outfield and the middle of our order and led all players in the KCAC in outfield assists," Neisius said.
Eggleston closed out his first season with the Falcons with 10 strikeouts against Bethany College to give him 100 punchouts for the season, the most for the team since at least the 2005 season. He ranked second in the KCAC in strikeouts overall and third in strikeouts per game (10.27). Eggleston also led the Falcons with six victories on the season along with a team-high seven complete games.
"Austin gave us a chance to win every time he pitched – 100 K's is an amazing accomplishment and the scary part is I think he can be better," Neisius said. "Hopefully he will have another outstanding year for us as a senior."