COLUMBUS - Columbus State University baseball players Isaac Bouton and Robert Brooks earned national and regional accolades following leading the Cougars to a deep postseason run. 

Bouton becomes the 44th All-American in Cougar history after earning the status as the first-team shortstop selection on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) All-America team. He is the only freshman on either the first, second or third team. 

Also, Brooks joined Bouton on the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association's (D2CCA) All-Southeast Region team. The junior was a second-team pick at his catcher position, while Bouton was a first-team honoree. 

Bouton was impressive over 47 games for the Cougars, hitting .347 with 12 homers and 50 RBIs. He scored a team-high 60 runs, the eighth-most in the nation, and led the team and is fifth in the country with 20 doubles. The Marietta, Ga. native had nine games with three or more RBIs, including driving in five on a 6-for-7 performance in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament against the University of North Georgia. In total, Bouton had 34 extra-base hits, tied for the team-high with Brooks, and finished the year with a 1.079 OPS.

One of the best sluggers in program history, Brooks knocked 22 homers in 2021, tied for the third-most in CSU history. The junior is currently tied for second in the nation in home runs, fifth in total bases (152) and 17th in slugging percentage (.835). Overall, the backstop led the  Cougars with a .396 average with 72 hits, including 10 doubles and two triples to go along with his stout homer total. Brooks also drove in 56 for head coach Greg Appleton.

Brooks ended the 2021 season in fourth place on the all-time Cougar career home run list with 45.

Over the weekend, Columbus State reached the 2021 NCAA Southeast Regional championship before falling to Wingate University. The Cougars went 31-16 to win 30 or more games for the 20th time in 23 full seasons under Appleton.