OBU’s Collazo named to preseason squad

Oklahoma Baptist senior Josh Collazo has been named a preseason All-America by the NAIA.
Collazo, a senior first baseman from Tampa, Fla., is coming off a remarkable year for the Bison and is the cornerstone of the 2009 squad.
Oklahoma Baptist University slugger Josh Collazo was named first-team first baseman on the 2008 NAIA All-America baseball team released Friday.
Collazo last spring became OBU’s first first-team All-American since Darrin Fowler earned the honor in 1992. He is the first Bison position player to earn the award since catcher Terry  Rutledge in 1971.
Collazo established new single-season school records with 21 home runs, 100 runs batted in and 79 runs scored for the Bison. He started all 60 games at first base for the 21st-ranked Bison, who finished the year at 44-16.
His 90 hits were the second-best single season total in program history.
His hitting earned him Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors, but he was also good in the field, earning the Rawlings Gold Glove at first base on both the conference and NAIA Region VI levels.
Collazo also was First-Team All-SAC and All-Region.s
Collazo joined  the Bison this season as a transfer from Ranger Collegein Ranger, Texas. While at Ranger, Collazo was named Freshman Baseball Player of the Year. He attended Jefferson High School, where he gained notoriety for breaking former Major League Baseball star Tino Martinez’s single season home run record of 14. Collazo is the son of Freddy and Ina Collazo.
The rest of the team included Oklahoma City University third baseman Brent Weaver, outfielder Garrett Reagan and pitcher David Odquist, Rogers State shortstop Blake Kelley, Biola second baseman Hawkins Gebbers, Fisher infielder Thomas Englehardt, Lee outfielder Julian Alvarez and pitcher Pablo Lopez, Faulkner outfielder Dan Higgins, The Master’s catcher Tyler Diamond, Lewis-Clark State catcher Brian Ward, Spring Arbor pitcher Jesse Bachman, Ohio  Dominican pitcher David Colopy, Lambuth pitcher Bren Ebinger and Dickinson State designated hitter Tony Isbell.