USM freshman catcher Jared Bales earned postseason recognition today when Collegiate Baseball named him to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team, the university announced.
Bales, a redshirt freshman from Picayune, also was tapped for All-Conference USA Freshmen honors.
He batted .281 this season with nine doubles, two home runs and 20 runs batted in over 41 games, including 34 starting assignments.
Bales also had a nine-game hitting streak going during the season. No slouch in the field, Bales posted a .984 fielding percentage with four errors on the season. He did not have an error in the team's final 11 games in 50 fielding chances and threw out 12 of 21 baserunners.
Bales is the 14th Golden Eagle to earn Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-America honors and the first since Kameron Brunty was honored in 2009.
Read more in Thursday's Sun Herald.
