Seniors James Schroeder, third baseman, and Aaron Terry, right handed pitcher, were both selected on day three of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. Schroeder was selected in the 33rd round by the New York Mets and Terry was taken in the 42nd round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
“This was their goal and dream and we are just glad to have been a small part of it,” said Mulerider Head Baseball Coach Allen Gum.
Schroeder, the Montgomery, Texas native, hit .344 with 14 doubles, two triples, and ended the season with 19 home runs, and had a team-leading and the SAU record-tying 88 RBI. Schroeder was also a vital member of the pitching staff, compiling an 8-2 record and 3.38 ERA. He had three complete games in his 14 starts and struck out 72 hitters in his 80 innings of work.
Schroeder’s effort on the diamond paid off as he was named first team-All GSC at third base, second team-All GSC as a starting pitcher, a second team selection on both The American Baseball Coaches’ Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-South Region team and the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA) All-South Region team. Schroeder was also a member of the GSC All-Tournament team.
Terry, a native of Rison, Arkansas, ended the year with a 7-2 record and a 2.97 ERA for SAU. The senior had 15 appearances with 78 strikeouts in 60 innings, with opponents hitting just 181 against him.
Terry’s performance on the mound earned him a first team-All Gulf South Conference accolade.
Schroeder and Terry both helped to lead the Muleriders to a school-record 52 wins, a No. 1 national ranking for the majority of the season, the No. 1 seed in the South Region tournament, played in Magnolia, a Gulf South Conference Western Division title and the Gulf South Conference Championship.
