On Monday, the American Athletic Conference released its awards for the 2022-2023 season. On that list, Memphis Baseball received five of the prestigious end-of-the-season awards.
Fowler Named AAC Pitcher of the Year
Dalton Fowler pitched excellent all year. He consistently made sure that the Tigers had a shot to win even when their offense stalled in many games this year. In a clubhouse that recognized starting pitching as one of its weaknesses, Fowler was a light that shined bright for Memphis.
Fowler threw for double-digit strikeouts in four starts this year. His stuff allowed him to become a strikeout machine for the Tigers, as batters consistently whiffed on his pitches. Fowler finished the year 5-5 with a 4.02 ERA. The Memphis ace recorded a season-high 13 strikeouts against Cincinnati in 7.0 innings pitched.
Kendrick Named First Team All-AAC
Dalton Kendrick was named to the first team all-AAC team on Monday. He joined fellow Tigers pitchers Luke Ellis and Dalton Fowler. Kendrick was electric as a closer for the Tigers, recording 12 saves on the year. His 12 saves ranked fifth in the country and are the third most ever recorded by a Tiger pitcher. Having a guy like Kendrick on the roster allowed Memphis to comfortably wrap up ballgames throughout the season. Kendrick recorded multiple multi-innings saves on the season. He finished with a 3.83 ERA on the season and was an essential piece of the Tigersβ bullpen.
Ellis Named Freshmen Team All-AAC
Freshman P Luke Ellis was named to the freshmen team all-AAC. He was one of several freshmen from the Tigers that received all-AAC honors. Ellis finished the year 3-3 with a 4.42 ERA. His ERA finished much higher than it should have been, as he gave up 5 runs in 1.1 innings pitched against East Carolina. This outlier performance rose his ERA by almost one run. Ellis pitched fantastically throughout the year, showing excellent poise as a freshman pitcher in myriad big moments.
Kohler Named Second Team All-AAC
Logan Kohler was named to the second team all-AAC. He hit .328 BA on the year, which was a significant increase from his .282 BA in 2022. Additionally, Kohler hit 10 home runs and slugged .568, which was a huge improvement from his .436 slugging percentage in 2022. He displayed versatility on the base paths, stealing a total of 9 bases. Finally, Kohler was a standout in the field, as he recorded only seven errors. His improvements from 2022 to 2023 showed how committed Kohler was to the weight room in the offseason.
Jimerson Named Freshmen Team All-AAC
RJ Jimerson was named to the freshmen team all-AAC. He hit .237 BA with 2 home runs and excelled in the outfield. Jimerson stepped up in a big way for the Tigers in multiple instances throughout the season. He is a solid hitter, who I am sure will have an excellent season next year. RJ has a bright future with Memphis Baseball.
