Aggie players earn postseason honors

     RICHARDSON, Texas  (May 6) - Four members of the Cameron University baseball team have been recognized for their individual efforts during the 2003 campaign. Junior Chris Balsiger, along with sophomore Rick Justice and seniors Jay Jones and Justin Nelson, have earned all-conference honors in the Lone Star Conference North Division following voting by the division’s head coaches.
     A transfer from Pima (Ariz.) Community College, Balsiger earned first-team all-conference honors in his first season with the Aggies. The St. David, Ariz., native ranked third in the conference with a .412 batting average this season and threw out nearly 40 percent of attempted base-stealers from his position as Cameron’s starting catcher. In addition to leading the team in batting average, Balsiger also topped the Aggies in total hits (61) and on-base percentage (.485) this season, while finishing second in runs scored (40), RBIs (38) and slugging percentage (.595).
     Jones earned second team all-conference honors as a pitcher. The transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) Junior College finished his second year with the Aggies with a record of 9-4, including two victories over ninth-ranked Central Oklahoma. UCO finished the regular season with just four conference losses, two of which came at the hands of Jones. He led the Aggies in pitching victories and games started (13) this season. Jones also contributed offensively for the Aggies, collecting 12 hits and 10 RBIs in 46 at-bats.
     Justice finished his sophomore campaign as one of the top power hitters in the Lone Star Conference. The Lawton native also earned second team all-conference designated hitter honors after finishing the season with 16 home runs and a whopping 54 RBIs. Justice was named the Lone Star Conference North Division Hitter of the Week earlier this season after producing one of the best single-day hitting performances in Aggie history. In a doubleheader against USAO on March 4, Justice belted five home runs and had 12 RBI. The 6-2 Eisenhower High School product belted home runs in three consecutive plate appearances in the nightcap, establishing a new Cameron record and becoming just the 14th player in Lone Star Conference history to hit three home runs in a single game. Justice also tied a Cameron mark with eight RBI in the game. For the season, Justice finished as the Aggies’ leader in home runs, RBIs, total bases (110), and slugging percentage (.710).
     Nelson earned his second straight all-conference honorable mention honors at shortstop after finishing among the conference hitting leaders with a .348 batting average. The Visalia, Calif., native also added five homers and 31 RBIs, and led Cameron in both doubles (13) and triples (4).
     Cameron recorded its first 20-win season in eight years in 2003. The Aggies’ 22-24 mark was the best record for a Cameron baseball team since the 1995 squad posted a record of 23-27.  Cameron’s last winning season came in 1992, when the Aggies went 31-20 en route to the Lone Star Conference championship that season.
     For a complete listing of the 2003 Lone Star Conference baseball all-conference teams in both the North and South Divisions, log on to the official LSC website at www.lonestarconference.org.