Tulane junior Teo Banks was named American Athletic Conference preseason baseball player of the year by the league’s coaches on Thursday.
Banks, an outfielder from Odessa, Texas, overcame a slow start last season to hit .301 with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs. He led the Green Wave’s unlikely run to the AAC Tournament championship as a No. 7 seed, going 11 for 21 with 11 RBIs and three home runs in five games. He also led the Wave in slugging percentage (.607) and total bases (133).
While Banks received the highest accolade, the coaches left every other Tulane player off the preseason team. The Wave, which finished 19-42 in coach Jay Uhlman’s debut, was picked ninth, ahead of only UAB.
Four-time defending champion East Carolina was the unanimous choice for first, followed by newcomers Charlotte, Texas-San Antonio and Florida Atlantic.