TUCSON, Ariz. — Oral Roberts center fielder Jonah Cox and closer Cade Denton were named to the Collegiate Baseball All-America teams Thursday morning.
Cox, the Summit League Player and Newcomer of the Year, earned a spot on the first team, while Denton, the Summit League Pitcher of the Year, landed on the second team. With the selections, Cox and Denton become the 45th and 46th All-Americans in program history.
Cox, the first Golden Eagle to earn first-team All-America honors since Brian Van Kirk in 2008, is one of the nation’s premier hitters as he currently ranks third in the country in hits (100), third in triples (eight), fourth in hits per game (1.8) and fifth in batting average (.422). The junior is riding the nation’s longest active hit streak, 41 games, and has hit safely in 56 of the 57 contests this season. The Thornton, Colo., native’s 41-game hit streak is tied for the seventh-longest streak in NCAA history. In the Summit League Championship title game, Cox became only the third player in program history to record 100 hits in a single season.
In addition to his impressive hit total, the junior has belted nine homers, doubled 16 times, tripled eight times, has 58 runs batted in, scored 63 times and stolen 26 bases. The junior has started in 56 of the 57 games this season and made the transition in the off-season from a middle infielder to ORU’s everyday center fielder.
In the Golden Eagle single-season record book, Cox currently sits tied for second in triples, third in hits and seventh in batting average.
Denton earned All-America honors for the second consecutive season after posting a 1.60 earned-run average in 28 appearances to go along with 12 saves, which ranks sixth nationally. In 50.2 innings of work, the junior has struck out 68 batters and holds a 0.91 WHIP. On the year, Denton has logged 22 scoreless appearances, including six of his last seven.
The Rowlett, Texas, native has set career highs in appearances, saves, innings and strikeouts. In the Golden Eagles’ single-season record book, Denton ranks fourth in ERA, fifth in saves and 10th in relief appearances.
