University of Richmond Athletics
Barber, Cowell, Brown Earn All-Atlantic 10 Honors
05/25/2010 | Baseball
May 25, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its 2010 All-Conference baseball team Tuesday with three University of Richmond standouts earning recognition. Junior LF Billy Barber and sophomore C Chris Cowell were named to the Second Team, while senior 3B Cameron Brown earned Honorable Mention.
The voting was conducted by the league's 14 head coaches and the three selections for the Spiders were the most since Richmond had six All-Conference honorees in 2007. Richmond finished the 2010 season 24-27 overall, 10-16 in the A-10 and four games back of making the six-team A-10 Championship. With a roster depleted by injuries, the Spiders dropped five one-run games in league play.
Cowell had a breakout season for the Spiders as the sophomore catcher led the team with career-highs in home runs (17) and RBIs (52), while blasting 11 bombs in conference play to tie for the A-10 lead. The Devon, Pa. native hit .311 for the season, playing in 50 games and starting 49 at either catcher or designated hitter. Cowell launched a pair of homers in a 7-2 win over then second-place Saint Joseph's, while a dramatic ninth-inning grand slam versus Xavier tied the game, which the Spiders won in extra innings, 8-7. The sophomore heated up down the stretch, hitting .337 with 11 homers in the final 25 games of the season.
Barber was one of the most versatile threats in the Atlantic 10 this season, leading the league with a 23-game hitting streak mid-season and leading the Spiders in both batting average (.372) and earned run average (2.56), while finishing second in stolen bases (17). The junior from Fredericksburg, Va., who was an A-10 All-Rookie pick in 2008, was at his best with the game on the line as he collected seven game-winning RBIs this season, and in six of those games he also picked up a pitching decision (three wins, three save). His .372 average - Richmond's highest single-season average since 2006 -- 17 doubles, 17 stolen bases and 49 RBI were all career highs.
Barber, who started 51 games at either left field or designated hitter and made 22 relief appearances with a 5-3 record and four saves, is one of 25 players nationally to be named a quarterfinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
Brown finished his Richmond career in style by hitting a career-best .345 (.330 in A-10 play), to go along with his six home runs, 44 RBI and six stolen bases. The senior was the only Spider to start all 52 games this season, and ended with a streak of 99-consecutive starts at third (210 starts for his career). Brown drew a team-leading 33 walks and was hit by 11 pitches, with just 35 strikeouts for the team's second-best on-base percentage of .463. The Glenmont, N.Y. native was both a 2006 A-10 Second Team and All-Rookie selection.
At 24-27 overall in 2010, Richmond has improved its win total in each of the last three seasons under third-year head coach Mark McQueen.
