ABCA/Rawlings Honors Three C-USA Players as All-Americans

Terry Trofholz

A trio of Conference USA baseball players were honored as All-Americans on Friday when the American Baseball Coaches Association announced their 2002 All-American teams at the College World Series in Omaha. Houston sophomore righthander Brad Sullivan was named to the first team, while Cougar teammate Jesse Crain, a standout reliever and shortstop, was joined by TCU’s Terry Trofholz on the second team.

Sullivan was named Conference USA’s Pitcher of the Year this season after helping the Cougars to the league’s regular season championship and trip to the NCAA Super Regional. The Nederland, Texas, native has compiled a 13-1 record with a 1.82 ERA and set UH and Conference USA single-season records with 157 strikeouts in 128.2 innings of work. Sullivan came on even stronger down the stretch, allowing only one run in his last 36 2/3 innings and tossing shutouts in three of his last four starts.

Crain became the first player in C-USA history to be named first team All-Conference at two different positions. At the plate, he batted .310 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 47 runs. On the mound, he was 4-0 with a school-record 10 saves, not allowing an earned run all season until Sunday’s Super Regional final, throwing 37 1/3 innings on the year. Crain was the first Conference USA player taken in last week’s Major League Draft, going to the Minnesota Twins in the second round.

Trofholz shattered the C-USA record for batting average, hitting .441 on the year, 14 points better than Goefrey Tomlinson’s .427 average in 1997. His batting average was the second-highest in school history and he tied TCU’s single-season record with 94 hits. Trofholz led the Horned Frogs in on-base percentage (.481), total bases (121), runs (51), sacrifice hits (12) and stolen bases (22). He hit safely in 47 games this season.

Sullivan is about to become a consensus All-American. He has been selected a first team All-American by the ABCA, the NCBWA, Baseball Weekly and Collegiate Baseball. Baseball America will announced its national postseason awards next week.

Crain and Trofholz have each earned second team All-American honors from the ABCA, NCBWA and Baseball Weekly.