Four Arkansas State Baseball Players and Coach Raffo Earn Honors

Courtesy Arkansas State University Athletics Department

JONESBORO, Ark. (1/27/13) – Four Arkansas State baseball players were named the 2013 CollegeSportsMadness.com Preseason Sun Belt Conference team the website announced this week.

Senior outfielder Logan Uxa received first team honors, while junior infielders Dustin Jones and Claude Johnson were second team selections. Senior pitcher John Koch was also named to the squad, earning second team honors from the publication.

Head coach Tommy Raffo was tabbed as the publication’s SBC Preseason Coach of the Year after leading the Red Wolves to a 34-23 record in 2012 and 19-9 record in Sun Belt Conference play. A-State advanced to the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference tournament and finished the year with the fourth most wins in school history.

Uxa led ASU with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs and finished 2012 with a .289 batting average. His .477 slugging percentage and .434 on-base percentage were each the second highest on the team and he led the Red Wolves with 48 runs scored. 

Jones finished the 2012 season as second-team Sun Belt Conference selection after hitting .279 with 50 hits, 25 runs scored and seven doubles. He enjoyed a 10-game hitting streak and started 55 games at shortstop. 

Johnson led the squad with a .359 batting average and had a team high .478 slugging percentage. He led the team with 66 hits and finished tied for fourth with 27 RBIs. He will bring a six-game hitting streak into the 2013 season.

Koch is Arkansas State’s all-time career leader in saves with 15 and also holds the mark for most saves in a season with 11, which he set last year. He finished the year with a 2.11 ERA and struck out 38 batters in just 38.1 innings of work.

ASU will open the 2013 season with a three-game home stand against Bradley University Feb. 15-17. Season and single-game tickets for ASU baseball can be purchased at the ASU ticket office at 870-972-ASU1.