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HomeSportsInstant Peay Play: APSU's Alex Robles could be baseball Govs best two-way...

Instant Peay Play: APSU’s Alex Robles could be baseball Govs best two-way player in school history

Legends Bank, Clarksville TNClarksville, TN – Growing up a lot of baseball players are both good hitters and good pitchers, but by the time they get to the collegiate level they have either decided, or discovered, they are much better at one or the other and they turn their focus and time to their dominate ability.

But after two seasons, Austin Peay’s Alex Robles has not only proved to be one of – if not — the best two-way players in the programs history, but one of the best in the nation as well.

APSU's Alex Robles

Dating back to the first All- Ohio Valley Conference baseball team in 1960, Robles made history last month by being name First-Team All-OVC at two different positions, earning the nod from the conference’s coaches as a starting pitcher and as a utility player.

In 50 games, Robles – from Tucson, Arizona, made five starts at first base, two at second base, one at shortstop and four at third base, while also compiling 37 starts at designated hitter, finishing with a .328 batting average – which included 12 doubles, one triple, three home run and 39 RBIs.

As a pitcher, Robles made 11 starts on the mound with a 6-2 overall record, with a 3.31 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 84.1 innings, and five other appearances out of the bullpen earning three saves.

Those numbers come after a freshman season where he posted a .349 batting average with 14 doubles, two triples and one home runs to go with 39 RBI, while on the mound he posted a 6-2 record, with a 3.63 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched.

Austin Peay Baseball's Alex Robles. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Baseball’s Alex Robles. (APSU Sports Information)

That earned him Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman All-American, Baseball America 1st Team Freshman All-American, Perfectgame.com 2nd Team Freshman All-American, OVC Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team All-OVC (pitcher) and OVC All-Freshman Team honors in 2014.

It’s that excellence in both facets of the game that has already put him among some of the best in school history, with two possible seasons remaining in his career at Austin Peay.

After two seasons, Robles’ .339 career batting is among the top 10 all-time in Austin Peay history, while his 3.47 ERA is the 15th best in school history – and the best by any Governors pitcher with two seasons and 100 inning pitched since 1979.

Robles’ success both as a pitcher and hitter as caught the attention of the College Baseball Hal of Fame, which named him to the watch list of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year.

Originally, 36 players from around the county were named to the watch list, but that number was cut down to 10 last week, with Robles being among those 10 players.

The Olerud Award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and who was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

The award will be presented as part of the Hall of Fame’s Night of Champions celebration, June 28th-29th in Lubbock, Texas.

The rising junior will be playing in one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious wood bat leagues — Cape Cod League — this summer, receiving an invitation to play for the Bourne Braves and will reconnect with former Austin Peay assistant coach Joe Lincoln, who will serve as an assistant coach. The Braves begin their season June 9th.

With two seasons left at Austin Peay, the sky is the limit for Robles, who is well on his way to be far and away the best hitting/pitching combination in APSU history.

Chris Austin
Chris Austinhttp://www.clarksvillesportsnetwork.com
Chris Austin is a graduate of Clarksville High School and Austin Peay State University. Chris is a former Head Softball Coach for APSU, and assistant basketball coach for CHS. Chris has worked at the Leaf-Chronicle, and WJZM News/Talk/Sports radio. Has also worked at the Sports Information Department at APSU, and has covered championship events for the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA. Chris is an avid sports fan and can be found at most Austin Peay State University sports events.
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