Watkins, a native of Petal, Miss., is the seventh baseball player in school history to earn the award, which dates back to the 1990-91 athletic year. The third member of Jay Artigues’ squad to be honored in the past five years, Watkins joins previous baseball winners Wade Miley (2007-08), Chris Province (2006-07), Steve Trosclair (2000-01), Macky Waguespack (1998-99), Jeff Williams (1995-96) and Troy Melancon (1991-92).
Watkins, one of 27 student-athletes selected to the ABCA All-South Region team, right-hander went 10-3 with a 3.26 earned run average on the mound in 2011 for the Lions. Watkins finished tied for Southland Conference lead in victories, was sixth in innings pitched (102.0) and was ninth in the league in ERA while being named a second-team All-Southland Conference selection. Watkins, who became the first Southeastern pitcher since Williams in 1996 to post a 10-win season, also earned first-team All-Louisiana honors and was selected as the state's Pitcher of the Year.
Watkins also was strong in the classroom, as he repeated as a second-team member of the Southland Conference All-Academic team. A three-time member on the Southeastern Dean's List and a three-time member on the President's List, Watkins finished with a 3.45 grade point average in General Studies and had his degree conferred in May.
