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SOUTHLAND HONORS
Three Islanders garnered Southland postseason honors, as outfielder Matt Holland earned first team honors, while fellow senior Trey Hernandez picked up second team recognition at first base. Outfielder Jacob Perales received honorable mention.

Holland is the first player in Islanders history to earn first team laurels from the conference. Hernandez, earning second team honors for the second consecutive season, is just the second player in school history to earn league recognition twice, joining Chase Williams, who picked up third team honors in both 2007 and 2008.

Holland finished the regular season at .401 with 10 homers, 51 RBI and 43 runs. His 19 doubles are just one shy of the school record, while he is just three hits and six total bases away from matching the Islanders mark in those two categories.

Hernandez hit his 50th career home run over the weekend, and finished the regular season of his senior campaign with 11 longballs. His .326 average is third on the team, while he leads the squad with 48 runs and an impressive 39 walks. He has also smashed 12 doubles for a .584 slugging percentage on the season.

Perales finished his career in style, posting a .343 average to place second among Islanders and 10th in the league. The Corpus Christi native upped his average in each of his four seasons with the Islanders, capping it off with 13 doubles in 2011, just outside the league’s top 10. The Moody alum’s 30 walks and .440 OBP are both second among Islanders.

SPEAK SOFTLY, AND CARRY A BIG STICK
Teddy Roosevelt wasn’t speaking of senior Matt Holland when he uttered that, but there may be no phrase that applies better for the Watkins, Iowa, native. Holland, who is the only player in the Southland’s top five in average, doubles, home runs, OBP, slugging percentage and RBI on the year, is a measured individual. And though he is an important leader for the Islanders, he does so by example.

As of late, his performance at the plate has been nothing short of incredible. He has a 13-game hitting streak, his longest of the season, to raise his average to .401, second in the Southland. In his streak, he is hitting an amazing .509 with four doubles, three homers and 13 RBI.

The left fielder is second in the league with his 87 hits and leads the way with 142 total bases. He is on the verge of setting school records in both categories and in doubles as well. For a closer look at where Holland ranks in these categories, turn to page five.

In the series at UT Arlington, he had three hits in every game and was 9-for-13 on the weekend. He had three-hit games in the Friday and Sunday affairs with Northwestern State as well, then had two hits in each of the three games at SHSU, giving him 22 hits over the last nine contests. He has had multiple hits in eight of the last nine games and leads the team with 26 multi-hit games on the season.

The Iowa Southeastern CC transfer originally came to the Islanders as a pitcher, but transformed to a full-time hitter after suffering an elbow injury.

CORPUS CHRISTI – Senior outfielder Matt Holland (Watkins, Iowa) has been named a Third Team Louisville Slugger All-American, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper announced today. Holland is the first Islander in school history to earn Louisville Slugger All-America honors and joins Humberto Aguilar (Third Team, 2003) as the only players in Islanders lore to earn All-America distinction from any organization.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled for Matt Holland to have earned this honor,” head coach Scott Malone said. “As impressive as his performance on the field was this season, his presence as a leader and a model student-athlete were even more noteworthy. He is the perfect example of what an Islander should be, and we are glad that he was recognized for his record-setting season.”

Just two years removed from an arm injury that ended his career as a pitcher, Holland worked hard in the weight room to bulk up to 210 pounds heading into his senior season, and the results were palpable. The lefty slugged 10 home runs, the eighth different player in school history to do so, and matched the school record with 20 doubles. His 149 total bases set a new school mark as well.

A First Team All-Southland Conference honoree, Holland was second in the league with his .391 average and 93 hits, while his 53 RBI were sixth in the conference. His .626 slugging percentage was the second highest of all Southland players and he finished seventh in the league with a .445 on-base percentage. He also scored 44 runs, stole seven bases, and posted a 16-game hitting streak at the end of the season.

Holland was one of three Southland players included on the Louisville Slugger All-America Teams. Texas State’s Carson Smith was a second team selection at pitcher, while Stephen F. Austin’s Bryson Myles was a third team honoree in the outfield.

Texas A&M – Corpus Christi set school records for wins (37) and Southland Conference wins (19) in advancing to the final day of the SLC Tournament for the first time. The Islanders concluded the year having won 15 of their final 18 contests, and were over .500 from start to finish in the 2011 campaign.