FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, January 28, 2017 Cox picked to NCBWA preseason all-region team
MSUB baseball junior Adam Cox is picked to the NCBWA preseason all-region team as a designated hitter, after leading the GNAC with 47 RBIs last year. BILLINGS, Mont. – After leading the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with 47 RBIs in 2016, junior Adam Cox of the Montana State University Billings baseball team has been selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association preseason all-west region team announced Friday. Cox was a second-team all-region selection last year by the NCBWA, and is the top offensive returner for the Yellowjackets for the coming season. “Adam really established himself as a player last year in the region,” said first-year MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “Our team has a lot of confidence in him going into this year, and we believe we have the pieces around him to build off of
last year. It’s a great honor for Adam to be recognized as a preseason guy, and we know he is excited to get out and prove it.” The Yellowjackets also received votes in the NCBWA preseason west-region top-10, falling two points shy of tying for 10th place with 15 total points. MSUB finished last season 10th in the NCBWA top-10. Cox hit a home run in his first career at bat last year and never looked back, on his way to a .371 batting average and nine home runs in his first season as a hitter. He also led the team and ranked second in the GNAC with a .629 slugging percentage, and held an on-base percentage of .460. The Encino, Calif., native was a two-time GNAC Player of the Week selection, and started 43 games as a DH while playing in 47 total. He led the Yellowjackets with 21 multi-hit games, and 22 of his 59 hits on the season went for extra bases. In addition to his prowess at the plate, Cox was the closer on the mound for MSUB the last two years, and already holds the MSUB career record for saves with nine. A season ago, Cox held a 4.94 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings pitched in relief, and logged five saves in 17 appearances. Cox was also an academic all-GNAC and academic all-region selection a year ago. In 2016, Cox helped MSUB to its best season in program history, as the Yellowjackets went 30-20 overall and captured their second straight GNAC regular-season title with a mark of 23-15 in league play. MSUB, which was picked to finish fourth in the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll released earlier this week, is scheduled to begin the season on Feb. 17-19 with a four-game series at Colorado Mesa University. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--