Smith and Royo Honored by C-USA Coaches
5/23/2023 12:10:00 PM | Baseball
2023 Conference USA Awards
Parker Smith and Ben Royo have been honored by Conference USA head baseball coaches as part of the selection of their annual awards which were announced on Tuesday. Smith was named first-team, all-conference while Royo was named to the all-freshman team.
Smith made 14 consecutive starts as the Friday starter for the Owls. He led C-USA starters with a 2.75 ERA and was fourth in the conference in WHIP (1.13), fifth in strikeouts (80) and walks per nine innings (2.01), and seventh to strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.21). He became the first Owl since 2019 to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors after working 8.2 innings in a 1-0 win at FAU on March 31. He struck out a career-high 14 vs. Charlotte but was on the losing end of a 1-0 score.
Royo led the Owls in home runs (13) and is second in RBI (40) while making 43 starts at shortstop in his first season of collegiate baseball. His 13 home runs tie him with his head coach Jose Cruz Jr. for the third most homers by a freshman in school history while his 40 RBI are the most for a freshman since Ford Proctor drove in 41 in 2016.
Smith and Royo and their Owls' teammates will open play in the 2023 Conference USA Baseball Championship at 4 p.m. on Wednesday when they take on top seed and #17 DBU in the third game of the opening round of action at Reckling Park.
Smith made 14 consecutive starts as the Friday starter for the Owls. He led C-USA starters with a 2.75 ERA and was fourth in the conference in WHIP (1.13), fifth in strikeouts (80) and walks per nine innings (2.01), and seventh to strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.21). He became the first Owl since 2019 to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors after working 8.2 innings in a 1-0 win at FAU on March 31. He struck out a career-high 14 vs. Charlotte but was on the losing end of a 1-0 score.
Royo led the Owls in home runs (13) and is second in RBI (40) while making 43 starts at shortstop in his first season of collegiate baseball. His 13 home runs tie him with his head coach Jose Cruz Jr. for the third most homers by a freshman in school history while his 40 RBI are the most for a freshman since Ford Proctor drove in 41 in 2016.
Smith and Royo and their Owls' teammates will open play in the 2023 Conference USA Baseball Championship at 4 p.m. on Wednesday when they take on top seed and #17 DBU in the third game of the opening round of action at Reckling Park.
Players Mentioned
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