IRVING, Texas -- After stellar seasons on the diamond in 2016, WKU senior infielder Danny Hudzina and sophomore designated hitter Kaleb Duckworth were both named First Team All-Conference USA, the league announced on Tuesday.
The duo were two of 14 players to be voted on the first team by C-USA's head coaches, baseball sports information directors and a select media member for each school. The Hilltoppers were one of four teams to have multiple representatives on the All-C-USA first team, joining Marshall, Rice and Southern Miss. Since 2008, WKU has had a player receive first-team honors in every season but one and had multiple players earn first-team accolades in five of those years.
Hudzina closed out his career on The Hill with one of the best seasons in recent memory by a Hilltopper, finishing with a .408 batting average on 89 hits and 18 doubles. He became the 14th WKU player in the last 56 years to lead WKU in batting average and hold an average over .400. Hudzina was also the first WKU player to hit .400 for a season since Josh Patton hit .419 in 1997 and first C-USA player since Chad Zurcher of Memphis did so in 2011.
With the .408 average, Hudzina moved into the Top 10 in school history in multiple single-season categories as his batting average was tied for the eighth-best mark in a single season at WKU with Jim Atkinson (1978). His 89 hits tied former All-American Matt Rice (2010) for the 10th-most in a single season on The Hill.
Duckworth was also one of C-USA's most consistent hitters this season, collecting multiple hits in 18 games and reaching base in every contest but seven. Hitting just behind or just in front of Hudzina in the order for most of the year, Duckworth registered a .329 batting average and a team-high 36 RBI, while also ranking highly in multiple C-USA offensive categories: second in HBP (12), T-11th in hits (68) and T-12th in RBI.
After returning from a shoulder injury, Duckworth had his best showings at Nick Denes Field, batting .423 with a .625 slug and .496 on-base percentage on 44 hits, 23 RBI, 20 runs and 11 doubles at home in 2016. He was also one of C-USA's best in the classroom as he was one of two conference players to receive 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District honors earlier this month, while joining Southern Miss' Kirk McCarty and Marshall's DJ Gee as the three players to earn First Team All-C-USA and C-USA All-Academic honors.
The full list of awards is listed below.
2016 CONFERENCE USA BASEBALL AWARDS
Player of the Year -- CJ Chatham, Florida Atlantic
Pitcher of the Year -- Jon Duplantier, Rice
Freshman of the Year -- Ford Proctor, Rice
Newcomer of the Year -- Tommy Lane, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year -- CJ Chatham, Florida Atlantic
Keith LeClair Coach of the Year -- Jeff Waggoner, Marshall
Assistant Coach of the Year -- Tim Donnelly, Marshall
First Team All-Conference
IF CJ Chatham, Jr., Florida Atlantic
IF Danny Hudzina, Sr., WKU
IF Tommy Lane, Jr., Marshall
IF Tim Lynch, Sr., Southern Miss
OF Dylan Burdeaux, Jr., Southern Miss
OF Jake Sandlin, Sr., Southern Miss
OF DJ Gee, Sr., Marshall
C Chuckie Robinson, Jr., Southern Miss
DH/UT Kaleb Duckworth, So., WKU
SP Chase Boster, Sr., Marshall
SP Jon Duplantier, Jr., Rice
SP Kirk McCarty, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Casey Sutton, Jr., Louisiana Tech
RP Glenn Otto, So., Rice
Second Team All-Conference
IF Riley Delgado, Jr., Middle Tennessee
IF Brett Netzer, So., Charlotte
IF Logan Sherer, Jr., Charlotte
IF Ford Proctor, Fr., Rice
OF Corey Bird, Jr., Marshall
OF Connor Myers, Sr., Old Dominion
OF T.J. Nichting, Jr., Charlotte
C Zack Soria, Jr., FIU
DH/UT Jonathan Washam, Jr., Louisiana Tech
SP Cord Cockrell, Sr., Southern Miss
SP Brandon Rhodes, Sr., Florida Atlantic
SP Ricardo Salinas, So., Rice
SP Sam Sinnen, Jr., Old Dominion
SP Marc Stewart, So., Florida Atlantic
RP Cameron Ragsdale, Jr., Florida Atlantic
All-Freshman Team
IF Bryan Arias, UTSA
SS Ford Proctor, Rice
C Tyler Frank, Florida Atlantic
OF Blake Benefield, Middle Tennessee
OF Reece Hampton, Charlotte
OF Brewer Hicklen, UAB
DH Dominic DiCaprio, Rice
DH Hunter Slater, Southern Miss
LHP Nick Swan, Florida Atlantic
LHP Joshua Shapiro, Marshall
RHP Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss
