June 10, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M baseball team announced its annual award winners on Thursday, as selected by members of the squad.
Senior shortstop Brodie Greene was chosen by his teammates as the Marion Pugh Most Valuable Player. A second-team All-Big 12 selection, Greene took home the Aggies' "triple crown" after hitting .395 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs. All told, the Bullard native led the team in 14 offensive categories, and his 105 hits ranked third all-time in A&M history--two shy of the school record. He finished his career with a .348 average, 252 hits, 29 home runs, 125 RBIs and 48 stolen bases.
Greene also took home the Loraine B. and William B. "Breezy" Breazeale RBI award after totaling a team-high 55 RBIs in 2010. After playing in 228 games, more than all but two players in school history, Greene was selected in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday by the Cincinnati Reds.
Sophomore reliever John Stilson was named the C.E. "Pat" Olsen Outstanding Pitcher for 2010. An All-America selection, Stilson went 9-1 with 10 saves, and broke a 40-year-old school record by posting an incredible 0.80 ERA. The Texarkana native allowed just 12 runs (seven earned) in 79 innings of work, striking out 114 and holding hitters to a .181 average, and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year for his efforts.
The Marion Pugh Spirit Award, given to the player who is most instrumental to team unity and who provided valuable leadership both on and off the field, went for the second straight season to senior Tyler Dyer. A native of Deer Park, Dyer appeared in three games this spring.
True freshman Michael Wacha earned the Wally Moon Award, given to the player who shows the most improvement from September through the end of the season. Wacha earned Freshman All-America honors after a 9-2 season, the second-most victories by a true freshman pitcher in school history. He picked up a save and posted a 2.90 ERA in 25 appearances, tossing a team-high 105.2 innings and allowing just 38 runs while fanning 97.
Texas A&M finished the season at 43-21-1, claiming the school's fifth Big 12 title a few weeks ago in Oklahoma City and advancing to the finals of the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.
"This was my 20th year of coaching and fifth year at Texas A&M, and I'm the most proud of this team than any I've had here," head coach Brodie Greene made the choice to come back. He's seen several guys in front of him choose to come back for senior years and not have the kind of senior year that they'd hoped. Brodie had a fabulous senior year and he led from the front. Tyler Dyer gave us everything he had each and every day, along with R.L. Florance.
"There are a lot of other storylines too. Barret Loux, for example, turned in to a man. At the end of the fall, if you'd have told me he would be the Friday night guy, an all-American and have a chance to be a first-round pick, I'd have said he had a long way to go. He came back and led from the front. Every Friday night he was the one that wanted the ball. The guy was the sixth overall pick and asked for the ball (in the regional championship game), I think that says a lot about who he's become and who he is. I'm the most proud of this team of all the five I've had here at Texas A&M, I can tell you that."
TEXAS A&M BASEBALL AWARD WINNERS
Tyler Dyer - Marion Pugh Spirit Award
Brodie Greene - Loraine B. and William B. "Breezy" Breazeale RBI Award
Brodie Greene - Marion Pugh Most Valuable Player
John Stilson - C.E. "Pat" Olsen Outstanding Pitcher Award
Michael Wacha - Wally Moon Award