FRISCO, Texas – Major Leaguer Wade Miley headlines a class of five Southeastern Louisiana players named to the Southland Conference's All-Decade Baseball Team from the 2000s, the league office announced Thursday as part of its year-long 50th Anniversary commemoration. The team includes stars from its member institutions from the 2000 season through 2009.

Miley joins fellow Lion pitchers Bernard Robert and Brent Varnado, as well as third baseman Anthony Garibaldi and designated hitter Randy Roth, on the All-Decade squad.

A total of 56 student-athletes makeup the 2000s all-decade team, including honorees from 12 of the 13 institutions that made up the league during that era. Lamar leads all conference team with 10 selections, followed by Texas-Arlington with seven and McNeese State, Northwestern State and Sam Houston State with six selections apiece. Former Southland teams Louisiana-Monroe, Texas-San Antonio and Texas State each had four. Nicholls had two selections while Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi each had one.

"The new century brought more Southland baseball excellence between 2000 and 2009, with more NCAA berths and plenty of future big leaguers," Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said.

Garibaldi, a two-year starter for the Lions at third, was the 2003 conference Newcomer of the Year after leading Southeastern with a .366 average, 45 runs scored, 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. A native of Stockton, Calif., Garibaldi was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays after the Lions' 2004 season.

Miley, a first-team All-Southland selection in 2008, started 44 of the 48 games he appeared in on the mound during his three seasons at Southeastern. The staff workhorse as a sophomore and junior, his 273.1 career innings are sixth on the school's all-time list while his 20 career wins are seventh. A hard throwing left-hander, Miley recorded the second-highest single-season (119) and career (259) strikeout totals by a Lion.

The Loranger, La., native was drafted in the supplemental round of the 2008 Major League Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and represented the club at the All-Star Game in 2012. Miley was also the Sporting News' National League Rookie of the Year last season.

Robert, an All-Conference selection in 2005 after leading the conference with a 2.43 ERA, was 11-6 in his two-season stint at Southeastern. As a sophomore, Robert compiled a 9-4 record to go with his league-leading ERA and completed nine of his 12 starts, throwing one shutout. He limited batters to a .239 average in 115 innings of work, fanning 101.

Roth was the Lions' leading hitter in 2004 and 2005. He led Southeastern with a .317 average and 60 hits as a junior and a .349 average as a senior. His 87 hits in 2005 tied Gavin Fingleson, who also holds the single season record and is a member of the Southland's All-Decade team for the 1990s, for the second-most hits by a Lion in a single season. The total also led the conference earning Roth second (designated hitter) and third team (catcher) honors on the All-Southland team that season.

In his two seasons after transferring from Delgado CC, Roth started games at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third, right field and designated hitter. He also threw 2.2 innings on the mound as a junior. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals following the Lions' 2005 season.

Varnado, a transfer from Pearl River CC by way of the University of New Orleans, led the Lion pitching staff in ERA during both his junior and senior seasons. Working primarily out of the bullpen, Varnado led the Southeastern staff with a 2.72 ERA. In 2008, the left-hander from Amite, La., appeared in 18 games, starting seven. He compiled a conference-best 3.33 ERA in 83.2 innings of work, including one complete game. Varnado struck out 78 while only walking 15 batters as a senior.

Among the members of the decade team, there are another 25 players who combined to earn 34 individual awards during the decade, including player, hitter, pitcher and newcomer of the year. Six of those have been named both the player and hitter of the year, including Louisiana-Monroe third baseman Willie Core, the 2001 Player and Hitter of the Year; Texas-San Antonio third baseman Mark Schramek, the 2002 Player and Hitter of the Year; Texas-Arlington third baseman Ryan Roberts, the 2003 Player and Hitter of the Year to go with his newcomer of the year award in 2002; Texas-Arlington outfielder Hunter Pence, the 2004 Player and Hitter of the Year; Texas State first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the 2008 Hitter of the Year and the 2009 Player and Hitter of the Year; and, Texas-Arlington outfielder Michael Choice, the 2010 Player and Hitter of the Year.

Additionally, Northwestern State pitcher O.J. King was the 2002 Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year and McNeese State first baseman Chris Williamson was the 2000 Hitter and Newcomer of the Year.

Goldschmidt, Pence and Roberts all have played in the Majors. Roberts made his Major League debut with Toronto in 2006 and has also played for Texas and Arizona before finding a home with Tampa Bay this season. Pence, a two-time MLB All-Star, made his debut in Houston in 2007 and has also played for Philadelphia and is currently for San Francisco. Goldschmidt has been with Arizona since 2011. Texas-Arlington's Mark Lowe, has been on MLB rosters for eight seasons, making his debut in 2006. He has played for Seattle, Texas and the Los Angeles Angels.

Jim Gilligan, the winningest coach in Southland Conference history, is the coach of the all-decade team of the 2000s. Gilligan, who shared coach of the decade honors for the 1970s and 1980s and was a member of the 1960s all-decade team as a player, continued his historic run of success in his second term as the Cardinals' head coach.

A total of 17 members of the all-decade team were two-time first-team all-conference selections.


Southland Conference 2000s All-Decade Team (2000-09; 56 players)

Name, Team	Pos.	All-SLC	Superlatives
Michael Ambort, Lamar	C	2005, 2007	2005 Hitter of the Year
Bubba Bell, Nicholls	OF	2005	2005 Batting Average Champion
Josh Boop, Northwestern State	OF	2003, 2004
Bryan Cartie, McNeese State	3B	2006, 2007
Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington	OF	2009, 2010	2010 Player and Hitter of the Year
Willie Core, Louisiana-Monroe	3B	2001	2001 Player and Hitter of the Year
Danny Davis, McNeese State	P	2006	2006 Pitcher of the Year
Colin Delome, Lamar	OF	2006	2006 Player and Hitter of the Year
Tim Erickson, Lamar	P	2008	2008 Pitcher of the Year
Stephen Flora, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	C		2008 Newcomer of the Year; 2008 Batting Average Champion
Jesse Floyd, Lamar	P	2003	2003 Pitcher of the Year
Anthony Garibaldi, Southeastern Louisiana	3B		2003 Newcomer of the Year
Isa Garcia, Sam Houston State	2B		2005 Newcomer of the Year
Paul Goldschmidt, Texas State	1B	2008, 2009	2009 Player of the Year; 2008 & 2009 Hitter of the Year; 2011- MLB, Arizona
Matt Green, Louisiana-Monroe	P	2005	2005 Pitcher of the Year
Seth Hammock, Sam Houston State	3B	2008	2008 Batting Average Champion
Brad Hanson, Northwestern State	OF	2001, 2002
Clay Hensley, Lamar	P	2002	2002 Tournament MVP; 2005- MLB, San Diego, Florida, San Francisco, Cincinnati
Steven Hill, Stephen F. Austin	1B	2007	2007 Player and Hitter of the Year
Micah Hoffpauir, Lamar	1B	2002	2008-10 MLB, Chicago Cubs
Kane Holbrooks, Texas State	P	2009	2009 Pitcher of the Year
Chris Howay, McNeese State	P	2000	2000 Pitcher of the Year
Jared Howton, Texas-San Antonio	P	2001	2001 Pitcher of the Year
Ben Jones, Louisiana-Monroe	1B	2003, 2004
Blake Jones, Northwestern State	DH	2005	2005 Player of the Year
Blake Justice, Lamar	2B	2002, 2003
Eric Kanaby, Lamar	OF	2007	2007 Batting Average Champion
O.J. King, Northwestern State	P	2002	2002 Pitcher of the Year; 2001 Newcomer of the Year
Charlie Kingrey, McNeese State	OF	2006, 2007
Trent Lockwood, Texas-San Antonio	1B		2007 Newcomer of the Year
Mark Lowe, Texas-Arlington	P		2006- MLB, Seattle, Texas, Los Angeles (AL)
Dustin Martin, Sam Houston State	OF	2006	2006 Batting Average Champion
Wade Miley, Southeastern Louisiana	P	2008	2011- MLB, Arizona; 2012 MLB All-Star
Matt Miller, Texas State	OF		2004 Newcomer of the Year
Adam Moore, Texas-Arlington	C	2006	2006 Newcomer of the Year
Brandon Morgan, Northwestern State	2B	2004, 2006
Daniel Ortmeier, Texas-Arlington	OF	2001, 2002
Matt Otteman, Texas-Arlington	OF	2009	2009 Batting Average Champion
Matt Overman, Nicholls	P		2003 Strikeouts Leader
Hunter Pence, Texas-Arlington	OF	2003, 2004	2004 Hitter and Player of the Year; 2007- MLB, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco; Two-time MLB All-Star
Keith Prestridge, Texas State	DH		2009 Newcomer of the Year
Luke Prihoda, Sam Houston State	P	2007	2007 Pitcher of the Year
Braeden Riley, Sam Houston State	2B	2009	2009 & 2010 Hits Leader
Michael Rockett, Texas-San Antonio	OF	2008, 2009	2008 Player of the Year; SLC Career Leader in AB (940), Hits (337), Doubles (64), Total Bases (537) and RBI (210)
Bernard Robert, Southeastern Louisiana	P	2005	2005 ERA Leader
Ryan Roberts, Texas-Arlington	3B	2003	2003 Hitter and Player of the Year; 2002 Newcomer of the Year; 2006- MLB, Toronto, Texas, Arizona, Tampa Bay
Jordan Robison, Northwestern State	OF	2000, 2001
Randy Roth, Southeastern Louisiana	DH		2005 Hits Leader
Mark Schramek, Texas-San Antonio	3B	2002	2002 Hitter and Player of the Year
Brian Sisk, Lamar	P	2007, 2008
Kyle Stutes, Lamar	P	2004	2004 Pitcher of the Year
Kevin Mitchell, McNeese State	1B/DH	2000, 2001
Brent Varnado, Southeastern Louisiana	P		2008 ERA Leader
Bobby Verbick, Sam Houston State	OF	2007, 2008
Chris Williamson, McNeese State	1B	2000	2000 Hitter and Newcomer of the Year
Mike Wombacher, Louisiana-Monroe	P		2000 Player of the Year

Coach of the Decade: Jim Gilligan, Lamar