FIU slugger
JC Escarra, and freshman pitchers
Nick MacDonald and
Tyler Myrick received honors from Conference USA Tuesday as voted by the league's coaches.
Escarra was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team after returning from shoulder surgery and having a career season at the plate. The junior first baseman/catcher had career highs in batting average (.309), home runs (15), RBI (49), slugging percentage (.613) and on-base percentage (.396). Escarra is third in C-USA in home runs and fifth in slugging percentage.
Escarra matched career-highs in hits (55) and doubles (10) and can surpass those totals with the Panthers still playing in 2017. Escarra's 15 home runs this season are tied with five other FIU batters for seventh in a single FIU season. Former FIU slugger Brad Eldred holds the single-season FIU home run record with 29 round trippers in 2002.
MacDonald and Myrick were named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.
MacDonald (7-2) leads the Panthers with seven wins on the season and a 3.84 ERA. The right-hander has allowed the fewest earned runs (28) of any FIU starter this season and is second on the team with 63 strikeouts to
Robert Garcia, who has 80.
MacDonald's seven wins have him tied for fourth in the conference. Opponents are hitting just .244 against MacDonald, who allowed three runs or less in nine of his 12 starts this season.
Myrick (6-2) is second on the team with six victories and a 3.97 ERA. The right-hander is also second in the fewest earned runs allowed (29) by an FIU starter. Myrick's six wins have him tied for fifth in the conference.
Myrick is tied for fourth in C-USA in the fewest home runs allowed (3). FIU reliever
Dominic LoBrutto is second in C-USA having allowed just two long balls.
In eight of his nine starts, Myrick has allowed three runs or less, including a season-best performance against Western Kentucky (5/19) where he pitched seven shutout innings and struck out six.
FIU opens the Conference USA tournament against Old Dominion at 1:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday from MGM Park in Biloxi, Miss.
