Holgate, Simone make West Alabama's all-decade team

June 2, 2020

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – There are all-Americans, all-region and all-conference players – and more who should have been – on the West Alabama Baseball Team of the Decade. There are draft picks, big league, minor league players and two Canadians.

There are players of the year and record holders, hitters for the cycle and strikeout kings. There are starting pitchers and relievers with blazing fastballs, as well as others with endless stamina who just plain knew how to get hitters out. There are leaders, program guys, transfers and gamers.

So, read about some of the top players over the last 10 years of West Alabama ball. A couple started their careers in the previous decade but finished in this one.

Arguably, there are more who could have been included. The choosing is the hardest part for the committee. Reliving the careers was, and is, the best.

Third Base

Mitch Holgate (Windsor, Ont. 2013-16) – 2014 GSC Player of the Year … 2013 GSC Freshman of the Year … 2014 All-GSC … 2015 All-GSC … 2016 All-GSC.

Only player in UWA history to hit for the cycle on April 16, 2014 at Spring Hill … Played in 195 games … Career .335 hitter … UWA career leader in triples with 15 … Tied for second on GSC career list for triples with 15 … Second in career stolen bases with 74 and doubles with 49 … Third in career games played (195), at bats (729), runs scored (159), hits (244) and total bases with 419 … Fourth in UWA history in home runs (32) and singles (148) … Had 54 multi-hit games and 30 multi-RBI games … Three-time GSC Spring All-Academic Team honoree.

Shortstop

Dylan Little (2016-17) – 2016 All-GSC … 2017 All-GSC … 2016 All-GSC Tournament Team.

Career .317 batting average … Played in 109 games over two seasons after transferring from junior college … In two seasons had 26 doubles five triples and four home runs as a middle infielder … Drove in 74 runs in two seasons and stole 15 bases … Had 41 multi-hit games and 19 multi-RBI games.

Second Base

Luigi Mendez (2013-16)

Played in 142 games … Career .291 hitter with 137 hits in 470 at bats … .317 hitter over his junior and senior seasons … Had 27 doubles, three triples and six home runs … Drove in 89 career runs, 81 in last two seasons … stole seven bases … Had 20 multi-hit games and 21 multi-RBI games.

First Base

Tanner Rainey (2014-15) – 2015 Rawlings/ABCA All-American … 2015 NCBWA All-American as relief pitcher and first baseman … 2015 All-GSC as first baseman and relief pitcher.

Drafted by Cincinnati Reds with the compensatory pick following the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, the 71st player taken overall ... Currently a relief pitcher for the Washington Nationals … Holds UWA single season home run record with 19 in 2015 … Hit three homers to lead Tigers to win in 2015 GSC Championship Game … Played in 91 games in two seasons at UWA after transferring from Southeastern Louisiana … .331 career hitter with 27 doubles, three triples and 24 home runs … Batted .386 as a senior … Scored 73 runs in two years … Made 41 relief pitching appearances in two seasons … 7-1 career record with 15 career saves … 15 saves is fourth on the UWA career list … 1.28 career earned run average … posted a 0.86 ERA as a junior … Allowed just 23 hits while striking out 79 in 49.1 career innings pitched.

Catcher

Jack Cockrum (2013-16) – 2015 All-GSC … 2016 All-GSC … 2015 All-GSC Tournament Team ..

Played in 183 games … Fourth on UWA career list for at bats with 677 and base hits with 207 … Career .306 hitter … Sixth all-time at UWA with 43 career doubles … Had six triples and 13 home runs … Drove in 97 career runs and stole 13 bases … Had 49 multi-hit games and 30 multi-RBI games … 2015 GSC All-Academic Team …. 2015 GSC Academic Honor Roll … 2014 GSC Academic Honor Roll.

Outfielders

Jake Bush (15-16) NCBWA regional player of the week in 2015.

Career .305 hitter after transferring East Central Community College … Played in 100 games over two-year UWA career … Batted .733 with runners on third and less than two outs as a junior … Had 21 multiple hit games … Had one game with five runs batted in … 24 doubles and 666 RBI in just two years in a Tiger uniform … Among GSC leaders in bases on balls during his playing career … 2016 GSC Fireseeds Spring All-Academic Team.

Nick Delgado (2015-17) – 2015 All-GSC … 2016 All-GSC … 2017 All-GSC … All-Region.

Played in 148 games over three seasons after transferring to UWA as a sophomore … Career .361 hitter … 135 career runs scored is fifth in UWA history … 50 career stolen bases is fourth in Tiger career list … Fifth on UWA career list with 146 singles … Had 35 doubles, five triples and seven home runs … Had 54 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI games … His 84 hits as a senior was 20th in the nation … Ended his career on a 23-game hitting streak.

Tecumseh Thunder grad OF Brian Simone (Amherstburg, Ont.)

Brian Simone (2008-11, Amherstburg, Ont.) – 2009 All-GSC … 2010 All-GSC … 2011 All-GSC … 2011 All-Region … 2010 NCBWA All-Canadian College Team.

.356 career batting average … Scored 104 career runs and had 104 career runs batted in …18 doubles fifth in GSC in 2011 … 39 career doubles … Led 2011 team with .359 batting average and 40 RBI … Led 2010 team with .362 batting average … Batted .343 with eight home runs in 2009 … Hit .360 in 2008 as a red shirt freshman

Designated Hitter

DJ Turo (2012-13) – 2012 All-GSC, 2013 All-GSC.

Career .337 hitter … 71 career runs batted in over two seasons … Led Tigers in hitting in 2013 with a .315 batting average … Led team in hitting in 2012 with .359 batting average … Put together a 31-game reached base streak during 2012 season … 15 multiple-hit games as a junior … Had 113 career hits in just two seasons with 10 home runs and 59 runs scored.

Utility

Kevin Deese (2008-11) – 2010 All-GSC, 2011 All-GSC.

Career .310 hitter … Scored 104 career runs and drove in 149 career runs … Belted 32 career home runs and 36 career doubles … Hit .301 with 16 home runs in 2009 … Batted .331 in 2010 with eight homers and 45 RBI … Hit .313 as a senior.

Starting Pitchers

Jorge Cruz (2015-16) – 2015 All-GSC and All-Region selection.

Started 15 games as part of the weekend rotation in 2015 ... Posted a 9-3 record and 3.03 ERA in 2015 as UWA won GSC title ... Pitched 95 innings, striking out 66 and walking just 18 ... Broken leg hampered 2016 season, where he went 2-3, but still posted a 3.67 earned run average … 115 strikeouts in 151.1 career innings pitched … Over three-to-one strikeout to walk ratio … GSC Academic Honor Roll.

Fernando Gonzalez (2014-15) – 2015 Rawlings/ABCA All-American … 2015 NCBWA All-American … 2015 All-Region … 2014 All-GSC … 2015 All-GSC.

16-4 career record with 2.10 earned run average in 27 career starts/appearances … Led GSC with 10 wins in 2015 … Posted a blistering 1.96 earned run average in 2015 … Opponents batted just .228 against him in 2015 … Had 155 career strikeouts … Averaged 8.56 strikeouts and 2.5 walks per nine innings pitched.

JT Salter (2018) – 2018 All-GSC.

Set UWA single season strikeout record with 118 in 2018 … Taken with the 14th pick in the 20thround of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners … Played just one season at UWA due to being drafted … 703 record with 2.65 earned run average in his only season as a Tiger … Led team with 88.1 innings pitched in 2018, walking 47 and striking out 118 … Averaged 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings pitched … Opponents hit just .216 against him.

Cole Waites (2017-19) 2017 All-GSC … 2019 All-GSC.

Holds UWA record and third all-time in GSC history for strikeouts in a game with 18 against Christian Brothers in 2018 … Tied with JT Salter for UWA single season strikeout record with 118 … Holds UWA career record and seventh all-time in GSC for strikeouts in a career with 282 in just three seasons (197 innings pitched) … Holds UWA record and second all-time in GSC for season strikeout ratio at 14.7 in 2019 … Career 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings … 42 career appearances, 36 starts … 12-10 career record with 3.93 earned run average … Drafted by the San Francisco Giants with the ninth pick of the 18th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft

Relief Pitchers

Brian Burgess (2008-11) 2008 All-GSC … 2009 All-GSC … 2010 All-GSC … 2011 All-GSC.

Second all-time in GSC history with 85 career relief appearances … UWA career record holder for appearances and relief appearances with 85 … West Alabama career record holder with 30 saves … Ended career as the GSC leader in saves … 25 relief appearances in 2008 with 2-1 record, five saves and 2.92 earned run average … 24 relief appearances in 2009 with 1-1 record, 2.84 ERA and 11 saves … Tino Martinez Watch List.

Brandon Pennington (2015-16)

Appeared in 37 career games, all in relief, mostly in setup role … 8-1 career record with three saves and 2.69 earned run average … 61 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 60.1 career innings pitched … 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings for career … Appeared in 16 games in 2015, all in relief ... Posted 6-1 record in 2015 with 2.84 ERA in a setup role for closer Tanner Rainey … On the mound for the final out when the Tigers clinched the 2015 Gulf South Conference Tournament Championship, earning the win after allowing no runs and just three hits, striking out five, in the final 3.1 innings … 21 appearances in 2016 with 2-0 record and three saves … Walked only three batters in 28.2 innings pitched in 2016.

Jonathan Porter (2016-17)

Had 56 appearances in 110 games over two seasons, all in relief … Pitched in 51 percent of the games played by Tigers in his career … 12-4 career record with 2.55 earned run average and four saves … 99 career innings pitched with 72 strikeouts and less than a hit per inning allowed for career … Averaged 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched … Worked an average of under 50 innings pitched in relief per season … Was 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 14 GSC appearances in 2016.

Tanner Rainey (2014-15) – 2015 Rawlings/ABCA All-American … 2015 NCBWA All-American as relief pitcher and first baseman … 2015 All-GSC as first baseman and relief pitcher.

Drafted by Cincinnati Reds with the compensatory pick following the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, the 71st player taken overall … Currently a relief pitcher for the Washington Nationals … Holds UWA single season home run record with 19 in 2015 … Hit three homers to lead Tigers to win in 2015 GSC championship … Played in 91 games in two seasons at UWA after transferring from Southeastern Louisiana … .331 career hitter with 27 doubles, three triples and 24 home runs … Batted .386 as a senior … Scored 73 runs in two years … Made 41 relief pitching appearances in two seasons … 7-1 career record with 15 career saves … 15 saves is fourth on the UWA career list … 1.28 career earned run average … posted a 0.86 ERA as a junior … Allowed just 23 hits while striking out 79 in 49.1 career innings pitched … Tino Martinez Watch List.