Junior shortstop Kyle DeBarge is representing Louisiana on the Preseason Sun Belt baseball team as he was named the Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches.
Louisiana (41-24 in 2023) was picked fourth in the preseason poll behind Coastal Carolina (12 first-place votes), Southern Miss, and Troy. The Cajuns got the other two first-place votes.
DeBarge, named to the All-Sun Belt team in 2023 and a preseason Perfect Game All-American, led the Cajuns in hitting with a .371 average and in OBP (.448). He was second in hits (76), slugging percentage (.546), and HBP (10).
In 54 games, the Barbe product had seven home runs and 38 RBI. During the season, he also recorded a 13-game hitting streak. DeBarge had nine three-hit games during the season.
Louisiana officially opens its 2024 season next Friday, February 16 when Wright State comes to town for a three-game series.
2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kyle DeBarge, Louisiana (Jr., SS – Kinder, La.)
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Grayson Stewart, Troy (Jr., SP – Dothan, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Niko Mazza, Southern Miss (Jr., SP – Madison, Miss.)
Billy Oldham, Southern Miss (Sr., SP – Brookfield, Conn.)
Grayson Stewart, Troy (Jr., SP – Dothan, Ala.)
Noah Manning, Troy (Sr., RP – Minooka, Ill.)
Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina (So., C – Haddon Heights, N.J.)
Zack Beach, Coastal Carolina (Gr., 1B – Mechanicsville, Va.)
Chase Mora, Texas State (So., 2B – Tomball, Texas)
Kyle DeBarge, Louisiana (Jr., SS – Kinder, La.)
Jarrett Brown, Georgia Southern (Sr., 3B – Savannah, Ga.)
CJ Boyd, App State (Sr., OF – Lewisville, N.C.)
Fenwick Trimble, James Madison (Jr., OF – Virginia Beach, Va.)
Shane Lewis, Troy (Jr., OF – Vicksburg, Miss.)
Derek Bender, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DH – Murrells Inlet, S.C.)
Sam Blancato, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., UT – Marietta, Ga.)
2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Coastal Carolina (12) – 193
2. Southern Miss – 173
3. Troy – 164
4. Louisiana (2) – 159
5. Texas State – 138
6. Old Dominion – 115
7. Georgia Southern – 99
8. South Alabama – 98
9. App State – 82
10. James Madison – 79
11. Georgia State – 78
12. Marshall – 34
13. ULM – 33
14. Arkansas State – 25