EL DORADO—The JUCO World Series-bound South Arkansas College Stars keep piling up accolades, as they learned this week of two regional postseason honors.

Head coach Cannon Lester was selected as Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year, and freshman catcher Jacob Ambriz was selected for the DII All-Region 2 Team.

Ambriz, of Denton, Texas, separated himself throughout the season as a difference-maker behind the plate, finishing in the region’s top 10 in both put outs (265) and fielding percentage (.995). As a batter, he was in the top 10 in home runs (nine).

Lester, in his second season as skipper of the Stars (45-16), led his squad to the Region 2 regular-season title with a 30-7 record in region play. En route, his Stars knocked off top-ranked and previously-undefeated Louisiana State-Eunice, on the road, snapping a win streak of nearly 40 games.

On Monday, SouthArk beat Western Oklahoma State 6-4 in the championship game of the Plains District Tournament, claiming that title and earning a place in the JUCO World Series next week in Enid, Oklahoma.

For the third time this season, South Arkansas College sophomore second baseman Trace Shoup has been named a NJCAA D-II Region 2 Player of the Week.

Shoup, of El Dorado, averaged .438 at the plate with 10 RBIs and six runs scored, including two homers, in games over the week ending on May 7 in which the 17^th-ranked Stars (41-15) went 5-2 and captured the Region 2 regular-season title.

The Stars now move into postseason play, and are the top seed in the Plains District Tournament which begins today [[Thursday May 11]] in Enid, Oklahoma. SouthArk will play eighth-seeded Redlands Community College (13-23) in its first-round game. All district tournament games will be available on a free livestream video broadcast on the Region 2 website, region2athletics.com

Shoup has separated himself as one of the best players in Division II juco baseball this year. He sits at third nationally in total RBIs (80) and is in the top 10 in total hits (83). As a fielder he is in the top 10 in double plays (26). He leads Region 2 in RBIs and is in the top five in stolen bases (24).

He also was named a Region 2 Player of the Week for the weeks ending March 26 and April 16.

The Catalyst Program is a collaborative effort between employer partners and sponsors to provide free, pre-employment training for individuals interested in the chemical production and services sector. All adults, including high school seniors, looking for employment or a change in employment are encouraged to register for the program.

“We’re very pleased to support our customers and the economic future of Union County by partnering with South Arkansas College and the Arkansas Office of Skills Development.  This presents a great training opportunity for prospective employees looking to grow with some great companies,” said Danny Games, Entergy Arkansas’ director of business and economic development. Other sponsoring partners include the Office of Skills Development, the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, the City of El Dorado and the Career Accelerator at South Arkansas College.

Successful completion of the 16-week program may lead to employment at one of five local industries. The employer partners include Clean Harbors, Continental Carbonic Products, LANXESS, LSB Industries and Standard Lithium.

“This is a great opportunity for those in the area to learn new skills and advance their careers at some of the local area’s top companies—all at no cost to the individual,” LSB Industries spokesperson Derek Turner said. “I would encourage anyone interested to enroll right away.”

Catalyst is provided in two phases with classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The first phase lasts six weeks. This phase teaches soft skills and ensures applicants are ready to work collaboratively in the industry. Participants will hear presentations from each of the companies to learn more about the work completed by each. Phase two provides ten weeks of instruction where participants learn safety requirements and technical skills they need to enter the facilities.

“South Arkansas College is very excited to partner with these essential regional employers to create a short-term workforce development pathway that leads to high-wage careers,” SouthArk president Dr. Bentley Wallace said. “Anyone who is interested in finding new job opportunities should reach out to the Catalyst program team today.”

Continental Carbonic Products plant manager Jerry Brumley said that MATHESON, the parent company of Continental Carbonic Products, “firmly believes that our employees drive the success of the company.”

“With success in mind as our ultimate goal, we strive to create and provide an environment that offers challenging, stimulating and financially-rewarding opportunities,” he said.

More information is available at www.southark.edu/catalyst .

For the second time this season, South Arkansas College has had both baseball and softball student-athletes selected for weekly regional honors.

Makenna Denofrio, a sophomore infielder from Opelousas, Louisiana; and Trace Shoup, a sophomore infielder from El Dorado; both were tabbed as NJCAA Region 2 Players of the Week for the week ending April 16.

Shoup batted .523 with a home run and eight RBIs over the week. He scored six runs as the 18^th-ranked Stars (32-11, 20-4 in Region 2 play) went 3-2, which included a road victory over top-ranked Louisiana State-Eunice in non-region play and two home wins over 12^th-ranked Murray State in region play.

For the season, Shoup has carved his name among the best NJCAA DII hitters in the country, as he currently is in the top five in RBIs (59) and in the top 10 in hits (63). He is in the third in Region 2 in RBIs and fifth in hits, and is top 10 in slugging percentage (.713), total runs (50) and home runs (10). His .384 batting average places him just outside of the top 10 in that category. It is Shoup’s second Regional Player of the Week selection this season.

Denofrio batted .615 with a home run and 11 RBIs over the week, while the Stars (10-30, 6-12) went 0-4. Her season RBI total puts her in the top 10 in Region 2, and her .340 season average leads the team. She also is in the region’s top 10 in slugging percentage (.711) and home runs (five).

This marks the second Player of the Week honor of Denofrio’s SouthArk career, as she also was selected for the week ending May 1, 2022, during her freshman season.