Tigers' Zurcher tops in C-USA

University of Memphis infielder Chad Zurcher, a junior fromKnoxville, was named Conference USA's Player of the Year on Tuesday,becoming the first Tiger baseball player to earn the distinctionsince the league began playing the sport in 1996.

Zurcher has spent most of the season in the national spotlight ascollege baseball's leading hitter. He enters today's opening game ofthe C-USA Tournament in Pearl, Miss., hitting .455, 11 percentagepoints higher than Utah's C.J. Cron, the Mountain West Conference'sPlayer of the Year .

Despite his consistent, high-level play, Zurcher admitted he wassurprised when approached by a C-USA official Tuesday morning.

"I didn't have a clue," Zurcher said. "It's a big-time honor(considering) the conference we're in and the great players thathave played in this conference and that are still playing in thisconference. I'll take the time to step back and enjoy it after thenext four or five days. We've got some business to take care offirst."

Memphis plays today, Thursday and Friday, vying for a spot inSaturday's C-USA championship game that rewards the winner with anautomatic berth in the NCAA Tournament's 64-team field.

Zurcher has had two or more hits in 28 of the 52 games he hasplayed. He also tops the nation with a .560 on-base percentage, anumber aided by 33 walks and 16 hit by pitches. He has reached basein 43 games.

"When the ballots were sent out, him winning was not something Ianticipated," Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock said. "But when you lookat it closer, his stats just jumped off the board: his battingaverage, his on-base percentage, the walks, the hit by pitches. Hewas putting balls in play that were in the strike zone."

With the team hotel adjacent to the field, Zurcher said he didn'ttake his cell phone with him to Tuesday's practice. As a result, hecouldn't tell his dad, Chris, about the player of the year awarduntil after the morning workout.

"I knew my dad would already know because he keeps up witheverything on the Internet," Zurcher said. "I told him, 'I guess momis probably in tears.' And he told me, 'No, your mom is fine. I'mthe one in tears."'

Memphis (29-25, 12-12 C-USA) opens play in the tournament atTrustmark Park against Central Florida (36-20, 12-12). The Tigersare the No. 5 seed and UCF is No. 4.

Also announced Tuesday was the league's all-conference teams.Zurcher was the U of M's lone representative on the first team,while Tiger outfielder Drew Martinez, hitting .321 with a team-high20 stolen bases, earned second-team honors along with first basemanT.J. Rich, who is hitting .298 with a team-high 52 runs batted in.

In an earlier announcement Tuesday , Zurcher was one of two C-USA players recognized as 2011 Capital One Academic All-Americans.

Zurcher, who graduated earlier this month with a managementdegree and 3.61 grade-point average, becomes the first U of M playerto earn the academic honor as selected by the College SportsInformation Directors of America.

- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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C-USA baseball tournament

Matchup: Memphis vs. UCF in tournament-opening game

When, where: 9 a.m. today in Pearl, Miss.