The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Sports / Baseball comes up short in ’06

Baseball comes up short in ’06

August 28, 2006 by Daniel Johnson-Kim

By Daniel Johnson, Sports Editor

While the ACU community was ankle deep in its summer plans, head baseball coach Britt Bonneau put the finishing touches on his tenth-consecutive winning season.

Despite finishing second in the conference behind rivals Angelo State and failing to advance past the regional tournament, the Wildcats finished the season with their second-best record to date at 44-18.

Their final game of the season was a 5-4 loss to Southern Arkansas in the NCAA Division II South Central Region tournament. Although ACU was the host of the regional tournament, they were unable to advance to the College World Series after losing to West Alabama and Southern Arkansas.

Regardless of the bad taste left in the Wildcats’ mouth at the season ender, Bonneau is proud of his team’s overall success and is optimistic of the program’s future.

“I’ve really got to tip my hat to the seniors last season,” Bonneau said. “They knew they had to help the freshmen get adjusted and play well, and not only did that help us win last season, but it will help them succeed this year as sophomores.”

One of those seniors who permanently secured his spot in both ACU’s record books and the memories of ACU baseball fans is LSC player of the year, NCAA Division II all-South Central Region performer and second team All-American selection Joel Wells.

Wells is the first Wildcat slugger to receive a Second Team All-American selection and broke three and tied one of ACU’s records last season.

In his final season, Wells shattered the previous single-season home run record of 12 after hitting 18 out of the park in 2006. Three of those 18 came in one game against Tarleton State April 1, another ACU record, and Wells finished his career with a total of 26 home runs to tie former wildcat Brad Massey. Well’s completed the season with a .395 batting average and 70 RBI, the second most in the program’s history.

Wells’ accomplishments were recognized at the highest level when the New York Mets drafted him in the 21st round of the MLB amateur draft. Although surprised and honored to be selected, Wells deferred his shot at the major leagues to pursue a career in medicine at Tulane Medical School.

The hopeful surgeon was the fourth player in ACU history to be drafted and the first baseball player from ACU to receive the NCAA post-graduate scholarship to help his attendance at Tulane.

“Twenty-three guys got to watch a kid have one of the greatest years that anyone has had in our program’s history,” Bonneau said. “I always told him he had the potential to do great things, and that is exactly what he did.”

Despite losing a player of Wells’ caliber, Bonneau is confident the players returning and the newly recruited transfers and freshmen will carry on the winning pattern of the last 10 years.

The new recruits include seven junior college transfers and three high school signees.

The role of shortstop and solid closer left open by recent graduate Ruben Rivera may be filled by shortstop J.J. Pacheco from Chabot College and right-handed closer Jameson Maj from Vernon College.

Also new to the Crutcher Scott Field mound are left handers Matt Davis of Butte College and Taylor Chapel of Lake Highlands High School.

Bonneau may call upon newly acquired outfielders Matt Spotanski, Mike Elkerson, Corey O’Neill or Trent Kinnear to fill the outfield positions left open by last year’s graduating class. While in the infield, transfer Jared Votaw and freshman Justin Shults will add depth to the Wildcats’ defense as well, Bonneau said.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Baseball

Other Sports:

  • Out with the WAC, in with the UAC

  • Women’s golf drives for success despite young mid-major status

  • More than money: FBS games bring in revenue, impact program

About Daniel Johnson-Kim

You are here: Home / Sports / Baseball comes up short in ’06

Other Sports:

  • Out with the WAC, in with the UAC

  • Women’s golf drives for success despite young mid-major status

  • More than money: FBS games bring in revenue, impact program

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved