At the end of each regular season, the American Athletic Conference names major award winners in baseball. Currently, it names a Coach, Pitcher, Player, and Freshman of the Year. The selections are determined by a vote of the conference's coaches at the end of each regular season. The awards were first given out in 2014, the conference's first season of competition.
Coach of the Year In 2014, UCF head coach Terry Rooney was chosen as the conference's best coach. In the regular season, UCF went 34-22 (17-7 American) to finish second in the conference.
Winners by season Below is a table of the award's winners.
SeasonCoachSchoolConf. (Rk.)Overall 2014 Terry Rooney UCF 17–7 (2nd) 36–23 2015 Cliff Godwin East Carolina 15–9 (2nd) 36–20 2016 Jim Penders Connecticut 14–9 (3rd) 38–25 2017 Greg Lovelady UCF 15–9 (1st) 40–22 2018 Todd Whitting Houston 16–8 (1st) 38–25 2019 Cliff Godwin East Carolina 20–4 (1st) 47–182020none - none -2021Cliff GodwinEast Carolina20–8 (1st)44–172022Cliff GodwinEast Carolina20–4 (1st)46–212023Loren HibbsWichita State13–10 (2nd)30–252024Cliff GodwinEast Carolina19–8 (1st)46–172025Patrick HallmarkUTSA23–4 (1st)47–152026Casey DunnUAB15–12 (4th)31–24
Winners by school The following is a table of the schools whose coaches have won the award, along with the year each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
School (year joined)AwardsSeasons East Carolina (2015) 5 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 UCF (2014) 2 2014, 2017 Connecticut (2014) 1 2016Houston (2013)12018 Whichita State (2014) 1 2023 UAB (2023) 1 2026 UTSA (2024) 1 2025
Pitcher of the Year In 2014, UCF's Eric Skoglund was chosen as the conference's best pitcher. In the regular season, the junior went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA and 92 strikeouts. After the season, he was selected in the third round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals.
Winners by season Below is a table of the award's winners.
SeasonPitcherSchool 2014 Eric Skoglund UCF 2015 Carson Cross Connecticut2016Anthony Kay2017Trey CumbieHoustonRobby HowellUCF2018Aaron FletcherHouston2019Jake AgnosEast Carolina2020 - none -2021Gavin WilliamsEast Carolina2022Carter Spivey2023Dalton FowlerMemphis2024Trey YesavageEast Carolina2025Blake GillespieCharlotte2026Conor MylesUTSA
Winners by school The following is a table of the schools whose players have won the award, along with the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
School (year joined)AwardsSeasonsEast Carolina (2015)42019, 2021, 2022, 2024 Connecticut (2014) 2 2015, 2016Houston (2013)22017, 2018 UCF (2014) 2 2014, 2017Charlotte (2023)12025Memphis (2014)12023UTSA (2024)12026
Player of the Year In 2014, Jeff Gardner was chosen as the conference's best player. Gardner had been selected as the Preseason Player of the Year, and in the regular season, he led the conference in slugging percentage, runs batted in, and total bases. After the season, he was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 8th round of the 2014 MLB draft.
Winners by season Below is a table of the award's winners.
SeasonPitcherSchool 2014 Jeff Gardner Louisville 2015 Ian Happ Cincinnati2016Joe DeRouche-DuffinConnecticut2017Jake ScheinerHoustonHunter WilliamsTulane2018Bryant PackardEast Carolina2019Kody HoeseTulane 2020 - none -2021Connor NorbyEast Carolina2022Griffin MerrittCincinnati2023Brock RoddenWichita State2024Carter CunninghamEast Carolina2025Mason LytleUTSA2026Drew Detlefsen
Winners by school The following is a table of the schools whose players have won the award, along with the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
School (year joined)AwardsSeasonsEast Carolina (2015)32018, 2021, 2024 Cincinnati (2014) 2 2015, 2022Tulane (2014)22017, 2019UTSA (2024)22025, 2026Connecticut (2014)12016Houston (2013)12017 Louisville (2014) 1 2014Wichita State (2017)12023
Newcomer Pitcher of the Year In 2014, the Newcomer Pitcher of the Year award was shared by Houston pitcher Andrew Lantrip and Rutgers pitcher Gaby Rosa. Lantrip, as a midweek starter, went 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA in the regular season; Rosa went 6-2 with a 2.28 ERA. In the summer of 2014, Lantrip played for the California Collegiate League's Santa Barbara Foresters, and Rosa played for the Staten Island Tide of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League.
Winners by season Below is a table of the award's winners.
SeasonPitcherSchool 2014 Andrew Lantrip HoustonGaby RosaRutgers 2015 Seth Romero Houston2016Tim CateConnecticut2017Mason Feole2018Alec BurlesonEast Carolina2019Devon RoedahlHouston2020 - none -2021Jake KaminskaWichita State2022Landon GartmanMemphis2023Grant AdlerWichita State2024Tommy LaPour2025Blake GillespieCharlotte2026Tanner WigginsRice
Winners by school The following is a table of the schools whose players have won the award, along with the year each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
School (year joined)AwardsSeasons Houston (2014) 3 2014, 2015, 2019Wichita State (2017)32021, 2023, 2024Connecticut (2014)22016, 2017East Carolina (2015)12018Memphis (2014)12022Charlotte (2023)12025Rice (2024)12026 Rutgers (2014) 1 2014
Newcomer Position Player of the Year
Winners by season Below is a table of the Newcomer Position Player of the Year award's winners.
SeasonPlayerSchool 2016 Joe Davis Houston2017Rylan ThomasUCF2018Christian FedkoConnecticut2019Hunter GoodmanMemphis2020 - none -2021Bennett LeeTulane2022Brock RoddenWichita State2023Justin MurrayHouston2024Mason LytleUTSA 2025Todd ClayUABDrew DetlefsenUTSA2026Jayson JonesWichita State
Winners by school The following is a table of the schools whose coaches have won the award, along with the year each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
School (year joined)AwardsSeasons Houston (2014) 2 2016, 2024UTSA (2024)22024, 2025Wichita State (2017)22022, 2026Connecticut (2014)12018Memphis (2014)12019Tulane (2014)12021UCF (2014)12017UAB (2023)12025
Defensive Player of the Year
Winners by season Below is a table of the Defensive Player of the Year award's winners.
SeasonPlayerSchool2023Eric SnowSouth Florida2024Ryley JohnsonEast Carolina2025Mason LytleUTSA2026Jevin RelafordSouth Florida
Winners by school The following is a table of the schools whose coaches have won the award, along with the year each school joined the conference, the number of times it has won the award, and the years in which it has done so.
School (year joined)AwardsSeasonsSouth Florida (2014)22023, 2026East Carolina (2015)12024UTSA (2024)12025
References
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