UL shortstop Nerissa Myers won't be named the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team shortstop next week, but she should be. See why, below.

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UL sophomore shortstop Nerissa Myers

When the Sun Belt Conference releases its 2011 all-conference team next week, Troy's Nikki Hollett will be named the first-team shortstop.

Most people would consider that an absolute no-brainer. After all, Hollett is a Player of the Year nominee, and her 19 home runs rank in the top ten in the country.

I, however, would consider that selection to be one-dimensional, and shallow.

I do get a vote on the team, and I'm telling you right now, that I'm placing my vote for UL sophomore shortstop Nerissa Myers.

Now, I understand that some people are going to fall out of their chair when they read this. I'm going to be called a "homer." And I'm sure I'll get my fair share of emails from the Troy fans.

Before any of that though, let me present my case.

I've always been very consistent about what I believe the primary function of a shortstop, at both the baseball and softball levels, should be, and that's defense.

I freely admit that I'm old-school, and I believe that you don't sacrifice defense at shortstop, in order to get more offensive production.

I used to argue with fans of my beloved Houston Astros throughout the last decade, about the importance of Adam Everett, who was a light-hitting shortstop, but a terrific defender.

Fans like offense. They like numbers. So, they weren't thrilled about the idea of having a .250 hitting shortstop, with little power.

What they wanted was the guy who replaced Everett, Miguel Tejada, who was still a good offensive player when the Astros acquired him, but no longer had the range to be an everyday shortstop at the big league level.

Well, all I'm going to say about the old arguments is that the Astros, with Everett at shortstop, won their first two postseason series in the history organization, and appeared in their first-ever World Series, back in 2005. In the two years that Tejada was the starter, the Astros were a combined three games under .500.

Shortstop is a defensive position!

Now, this isn't an anti-Nikki Hollett blog. It's more of a pro-Nerissa Myers blog, and it's about understanding what the position is all about.

I'd love to have Hollett on my team. If I had to name an all-conference team, where I'd be voting for simply the best nine players in the league, she'd undoubtedly be on there. But if we're truly going to pick to best all-around shortstop in the league, I say it's Myers, without hesitation.

Hollett has made 28 errors this season, while Myers had booted only five balls, while starting all 51 games.

That's a 23 error difference folks, and that's a lot.

Myers is averaging an error every ten games, while Hollett is averaging an error every other game.

Myers has incredible range. She's made plays very few shortstops in the country could make this year, much less those in the conference. I think it's safe to say that because of her range, and ability to make plays, she got to at least 12 balls that Hollett simply couldn't have gotten to. And that's being conservative.

If you add the extra errors that Hollett made over Myers, and the extra balls that I'm guessing that Myers got to, you'd see that Myers saved 35 outs over Hollett.

No more was the difference in Myers and Hollett, defensively, more evident than back on March 27, at Lamson Park, when the Cajuns defeated the Trojans, 9-1. Hollett  struggled in the field. So much so that Troy head coach Melanie Davis moved her to third base.

Trust me when I tell you; that would never happen with Nerissa Myers.

There's a reason why Louisiana has the best team fielding percentage in the league, while Troy ranks at the bottom. You look at your defensive anchor, who's your shortstop. The Cajuns have that anchor, while the Trojans don't.

So, defensively, Myers has made five errors, going into the final weekend of the regular season, with a .966 fielding percentage, while Hollett has made 28 errors, with a fielding percentage of .858.

It's not close, people!

Offensively, Hollett is one of the premiere players in the conference, and the nation. But Myers is not as far behind her as a lot of people would believe.

Sure, Hollett has 19 homers, and that's what gets people's attention, but the other numbers are close.

Hollett is hitting a .366, with 54 RBI's, 41 runs, one stolen base, and a .418 on-base percentage.

Myers is hitting a .361, with 36 RBI's, 61 runs, 18 stolen bases, and a .475 on-base percentage.

So, batting average is pretty much equal, while Hollett has more homers and RBI's, but Myers has scored more runs, stolen more bases, and has a better on-base percentage.

You can certainly make the argument that Hollett is a better offensive player, but it's probably closer than you would think, and even if she is, there's not nearly enough of a gap to make up for the huge disparity on the defensive side.

Trust me, Myers has no chance of being voted the first-team shortstop. Media members, and fans alike, in both baseball and softball, are far too infatuated with home runs, and the 19 homers by Hollett are just going to be way too many for the people that vote on the All-Sun Belt Conference team to look at any other numbers.

Again, I have a lot of respect for Hollett and what she's done, offensively, this year. I'd like to have her on my team, and I think shs is, without question, one of the top talents in the league.

This is in no way a blog to bash Hollett. Unfortunately, it may seem that way, simply because I have to make a case for Myers.

It's an argument I'm going to be outnumbered in, anyway. But that still doesn't mean I'm not right.

In a perfect world, Hollett would be a third baseman, and it would be a no-brainer. I'd vote Hollett at third, and Myers at short. But I'm being asked to vote on who I think is the best shortstop in the conference, and I believe that, without a doubt, the answer is Myers.

If I'm looking  for a shortstop to win a home run derby with, my pick would be Nikki Hollett.

If I'm looking for a shortstop to win a conference championship with, my pick would be Nerissa Myers.

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