LAFAYETTE (Press Release) – A day after the Louisiana Baseball team was selected as the preseason favorite to win the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference, seniors Gunner Leger and Daniel Lahare and sophomore Hayden Cantrelle were selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team, the league office announced on Thursday.
Louisiana has had at least one student-athlete recognized on the Preseason All-Sun Belt squad since 2014, while the three selections ahead of the 2019 season are the most since the Ragin’ Cajuns placed four on the team prior to the 2017 season. The Ragin’ Cajuns are one of three programs (Coastal Carolina, Georgia State) to have three representatives on the team.
“Each of these young men are deserving of this preseason recognition,” head coach Tony Robichaux said. “All three have worked so hard this past offseason to get themselves ready for this season. They are all leaders on our team and will be key for our team to get to where we want to go this year.”
Leger is making his third appearance on a preseason team as he enters the final season of his storied Louisiana career. After missing the 2018 season, Leger will look to pick up where he left off from his stellar 2017 campaign, when he posted a 10-2 record in 15 starts with a 1.97 ERA. In 91.1 innings, Leger struck out 84 batters while limiting opponents to a .206 average and combined to post six shutouts.
He went on to be named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year and earned All-America recognition from four different institutions, joining Wyatt Marks, Jace Conrad, Stefan Trosclair and Phil Devey as the most decorated All-Americans in program history. He also became the programs first Golden Spikes semifinalist.
Lahare is making his first appearance on the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team after leading the team in batting average (.321), OPS (.858), runs scored (50), hits (69), triples (4), total bases (101) and slugging percentage (.470) in 2018. He also put together a 19-game hitting streak towards the end of the season that helped the Ragin’ Cajuns go 22-9 in the second half of the year.
Cantrelle was one of three Ragin’ Cajuns to start in all 59 games last year and is looking to build off the success from his rookie season. The rising sophomore batted .287 (60-for-209) and finished with 22 RBI, four home runs, two triples and 13 doubles. He tied a school record on May 11, 2018 when he recorded five hits in an 11-2 victory over Texas State.
Louisiana is just over two weeks away from opening night when it hosts No. 16 Texas at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. Season tickets for the 2019 season are on sale now and can be purchased here.
2019 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Baseball Team
Seth Shuman (Georgia Southern, Junior, Starting Pitcher)
Hunter Gaddis (Georgia State, Junior, Starting Pitcher) 2
Gunner Leger (Louisiana, Senior, Starting Pitcher)
Matt Eardensohn (Coastal Carolina, Senior, Relief Pitcher) 2
Carter Perkins (South Alabama, Senior, Catcher) 2
Kyle MacDonald (Arkansas State, Senior, First Base) 2*
Cory Wood (Coastal Carolina, Junior, Second Base) 1
Hayden Cantrelle (Louisiana, Sophomore, Shortstop)
Drew Frederic (Troy, Junior, Third Base) 1
Parker Chavers (Coastal Carolina, Sophomore, Outfielder) 2
Daniel Lahare (Louisiana, Senior, Outfielder) 2
Rigsby Mosley (Troy, Sophomore, Outfielder) 2^
Ryan Glass (Georgia State, Sophomore, Designated Hitter) 2
Brandon Bell (Georgia State, Senior, Utility Player)
2018 Preseason Player of the Year
Kyle MacDonald (Arkansas State, Senior, First Base) 2*
2018 Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Hunter Gaddis (Georgia State, Junior, Starting Pitcher) 2
1 2018 First Team All-Sun Belt selection
2 2018 Second Team All-Sun Belt selection
* 2018 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year
^ 2018 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year
FOLLOW THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@RaginCajunsBSB) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball) or by checking RaginCajuns.com.
