Bates named pre-season All-CUSA; Tech picked third

Louisiana Tech utility player Ethan Bates was named to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference team, the league announced on Thursday.

Bates wrapped his junior season with 56 of 57 games starting as a position player (31 at 2B, 18 at 3B, and 7 at DH) while also making 25 appearances on the mound as the primary closer.

The Arkansas native averaged 270/.540/.377 ( BA/ SLG/ OBP) with 16 home runs, eight doubles, one triple, 38 RBIs, 36 runs scored and one stolen base.

Bates’ 16 homers ranked second on the team and seventh in CUSA. As a pitcher, Bates recorded a teambest ERA of 3.02 with a 4-3 overall record while throwing 44.2 innings and striking out 57 batters. He racked up 10 saves, third-most in CUSA, and tied for secondmost in a single season in program history.

With his two- way prowess, Bates was named to the CUSA All-Conference First team as a utility player and made the CUSA All-Conference Second team as a relief pitcher in 2023. As for the preseason team rankings, the Dallas Baptist Patriots received all nine first-place votes by the league’s coaches to repeat as regular season champions.

In its first year as a member of the league, Liberty was voted the runner-up with 64 points, followed by Tech in third with 60 points.

Sam Houston ranked fourth with 57, while WKU ( 48) and MTSU (29) finished fifth and sixth respectively. Jacksonville State (26), FIU ( 25) and New Mexico State (15) rounded out the poll. Tech opens the season with a four-game series against Northern Colorado at J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. The first pitch on Opening Day is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16.