FORT WORTH – The preseason honors continue to roll in for Texas A&M outfielders Jace LaViolette and Braden Montgomery as the duo has been named to the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List. The award is based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
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LaViolette, a unanimous Preseason All-American, was named to the list after slashing .287/.414/.632 in his freshman campaign. The Katy, Texas, native led the Aggies in home runs (21), RBI (63) and stolen bases (18) in 2023 en route to earning Freshman All-America honors from four different publications. LaViolette's 21 homers also set a Texas A&M freshman single-season record.
In SEC play, the 2023 USA Collegiate National Team member led all players with a .835 slugging percentage. Overall, LaViolette ranked inside the Top 10 in the SEC in homers, RBI and walks (48).
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Montgomery, a unanimous Preseason All-American, hit .364 with 17 homers and 61 RBI a season ago with Stanford, leading the Cardinal to their second straight College World Series appearance. On the mound, the Madison, Mississippi, native made 10 appearances and struck out 19 hitters in only 14.0 innings of work.
Among the Pac-12, the junior ranked inside the top 10 in runs scored (70), hits (82), RBI, home runs, total bases (149) and walks (51). Montgomery, who garnered ABCA All-America honors in 2023 and was a member of the USA Collegiate National Team, also registered 27 multi-hit games, 16 multi-RBI contests and closed the season with a 28-game on-base streak.
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The BBNCSA originally started out in 2017 as an honor going to the top college hitter in Texas. In 2019, the BBNCSA expanded becoming a regional award covering Division I programs in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The BBNCSA became a national award in 2020; however, no winner was announced due to the Covid-19 virus which cut the 2020 college baseball season short.
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The winner of the BBNCSA will be announced in June and honored at a gala in the fall at the Fort Worth Club.
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LaViolette, a unanimous Preseason All-American, was named to the list after slashing .287/.414/.632 in his freshman campaign. The Katy, Texas, native led the Aggies in home runs (21), RBI (63) and stolen bases (18) in 2023 en route to earning Freshman All-America honors from four different publications. LaViolette's 21 homers also set a Texas A&M freshman single-season record.
In SEC play, the 2023 USA Collegiate National Team member led all players with a .835 slugging percentage. Overall, LaViolette ranked inside the Top 10 in the SEC in homers, RBI and walks (48).
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Montgomery, a unanimous Preseason All-American, hit .364 with 17 homers and 61 RBI a season ago with Stanford, leading the Cardinal to their second straight College World Series appearance. On the mound, the Madison, Mississippi, native made 10 appearances and struck out 19 hitters in only 14.0 innings of work.
Among the Pac-12, the junior ranked inside the top 10 in runs scored (70), hits (82), RBI, home runs, total bases (149) and walks (51). Montgomery, who garnered ABCA All-America honors in 2023 and was a member of the USA Collegiate National Team, also registered 27 multi-hit games, 16 multi-RBI contests and closed the season with a 28-game on-base streak.
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The BBNCSA originally started out in 2017 as an honor going to the top college hitter in Texas. In 2019, the BBNCSA expanded becoming a regional award covering Division I programs in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The BBNCSA became a national award in 2020; however, no winner was announced due to the Covid-19 virus which cut the 2020 college baseball season short.
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The winner of the BBNCSA will be announced in June and honored at a gala in the fall at the Fort Worth Club.