SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Spring Arbor University junior Tyler Reed (Brooklyn, MI / Columbia Central) and sophomore Conner Lengerich (Monroe, IN / Adams Central) have been named to the Crossroads League Baseball All-Conference Team, as voted on by the league coaches. Reed was also named the 2016 Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year.
In his first season with the Cougars, Reed (pictured above) made an immediate impact. The junior outfielder finished the campaign with a .333 batting average and 27 runs scored while leading the team with eight home runs and 35 runs batted in. He also posted team-highs in slugging percentage (.605) and on-base percentage (.432). Reed, a Brooklyn, Michigan native, garnered Crossroads League Player of the Week honors for the week of Apr. 11-16 after batting .591 with four long balls, including a grand slam, and 13 RBI’s.
Reed ranked among the league leaders in several offensive categories. He finished second in slugging percentage, fourth in home runs and seventh in both on-base percentage and RBI’s.
Lengerich also took home his first piece of all-conference hardware following a breakout sophomore season. The outfielder from Monroe, Indiana scorched opposing pitching to the tune of a .350 batting average, which not only led the team but ranked eighth in the league. Lengerich posted a team-high 48 hits, including eight doubles, two triples and two home runs, scored 28 runs and collected 23 RBI’s.
Receiving Honorable Mention All-Crossroads League honors were Jeremiah Johnson (Bloomingdale, MI / Bloomingdale), Jonathan Newman (South Lyon, MI / South Lyon) and Duncan Patterson (Byron Center, MI / Byron Center).
Johnson was one of the biggest run producers for the Cougars in 2016 racking up 30 RBI’s. The junior first baseman batted .279 with 17 extra-base hits, including a team-high 14 doubles, and 17 runs scored.
Newman had a solid season, both, at the plate and behind it. A senior catcher from South Lyon, Michigan, Newman posted a .303 batting average in his final go-around with 21 RBI’s and seven runs scored.
Patterson had a terrific freshman season on the mound for the Cougars. He posted a 5-3 record with a microscopic 1.44 earned run average in 16 appearances. In five starts, the right-hander from Byron Center, Michigan tossed five complete games, including two shutouts. He struck out a team-best 53 batters, averaging 7.7 K’s per game, and opponents hit a paltry .195 against him. Patterson was not only one of the league’s top pitchers, but one of the best in the nation. He ranked fourth in the NAIA in earned runs allowed, surrendering 10 in 62.1 innings pitched.
Spring Arbor finished the year with an overall record 19-22. The team completed the regular season in third place in the Crossroads League standings with a mark of 13-9 in league play.
