Aug. 14, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky junior infielder Chris Bisson has been tabbed first-team 2009 All-Southeastern Conference as a shortstop by SEbaseball.com, it was announced.
Bisson, a native of Orleans, Ontario, was selected as the lone Kentucky representative and the only shortstop on the first team, with Alabama junior shortstop Josh Rutledge garnering second-team accolades. Named second-team All-SEC as a second baseman by the coaches in 2009, Bisson led UK in nearly every offensive category last season.
SEbaseball.com added a list of 39 players “also considered” for the first or second team, including UK pitchers James Paxton and Chris Rusin, and freshman outfielder Chad Wright. Wright, a native of Paducah, Ky., was one of 50 SEC position players on the first team, second team or “also considered” list. Wright hit .343 (62-for-181) with eight doubles, one triple, four homers, 23 RBI and 10 steals in 2009.
Fresh off leading his Cotuit Kettlers to the Cape Cod League Championship series and leading the league in stolen bases, Bisson hit .269 (34-for-136) in 42 games in the best college summer league in the nation. Ranking as the league leader in stolen bases, Bisson swiped 36-of-45 bases, becoming just the fourth CCL player in the last 10 years and the third in the last nine years, to steal 30 or more bases during a summer. With 36 steals, Bisson matched Rich Thompson’s 1993 Cotuit record for steals in a summer. Roy Marsh (Wareham, 1993) owns the Cape Cod League record for steals in a summer with 48. Emmanuel Burris’ 37 steals in 2005 marks the last player to steal more bases then Bisson in the CCL.
In his first year as an everyday player in 2009 at UK, Bisson quickly established himself as a breakout performer. Bisson led UK in nearly every category in 2009, including average (.360), at bats (222), runs (49), hits (80), triples (three), RBI (52), total bases (101), walks (20) and assists (133). A 5-foot-11, 185-pound left-handed hitter, Bisson reached base at a .414 clip and stole 13-of-15 bases for UK in 2009. One of his highlights of the season came when he belted his first career home run in walk-off fashion against state rival Eastern Kentucky in the bottom of the ninth inning, keeping UK’s school-record 29-game non-conference home winning streak alive.
