Coach Chris Curry and outfielder Ryan Scott led the UALR baseball team to its best finish in the Sun Belt Conference. On Tuesday night, both were recognized for their efforts.
Scott, a North Little Rock High School graduate, was named Sun Belt Conference player of the year, and Curry was named coach of the year in a poll of league coaches.
Scott led the Sun Belt and ranked second nationally with a.433 batting average and set a single-season school record with 90 hits. He also led the Sun Belt in RBI (63), was tied for the lead in runs scored (54), was second with 19 doubles and third with 11 home runs.
Scott’s .514 on-base percentage and .702 slugging percentage led the Sun Belt and ranked 10th nationally.
Curry was named the league’s top coach after leading the Trojans to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in his second season. The Trojans hadn’t reached the tournament since 2013, and their 17-13 conference record and No. 3 seed in the tournament are both program bests.
The Trojans have finished with a winning conference record only one other time since joining the league in 1992.
Scott is UALR’s first player of the year since Greg Taylor in 1996, and Curry is its first coach of the year since Brian Rhees in 2000.
Designated hitter Dalton Thomas, who ranked second to Scott in average (.386) and hits (86), was named first team all-Sun Belt. Second baseman Hayden Martin, who hit .324, was named to the second team.
Arkansas State third baseman Tanner Ring was named to the all-Sun Belt first team. Ring hit.302 with 15 doubles and a .491 slugging percentage. Teammate Joe Schrimpf was named to the second team as a utility player after hitting a team-best .316 with 42 RBI.