Wednesday,
April 24, 2002
2002
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE SPRING SPORTS ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
AND AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
CLINTON, SC - The South Atlantic Conference spring sports all-conference teams and award winners were announced on the campus of Presbyterian College, Wednesday night to kick off the 2002 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Spring Sports Festival.
Nearly 900 players, coaches, family members, media, and support staff attended this year’s function.
The 2002 South Atlantic Conference Baseball Coach of the Year is Keith Kessinger of Carson-Newman. Kessinger, in his second year at the school, led his team to the 2002 SAC regular season championship, the fourth in school history. The Eagles finished 15-6 in the SAC, and 35-15 overall. Kessinger receives this award for the first time in his career.
The 2002 Baseball Player of the Year, from Carson-Newman College, was outfielder Heath Mason. The Athens, Tenn., (Hiwassee JC) native led the SAC in home runs and RBIs per game and was third in the conference in batting average.
Justin Mahon of Mars Hill, who led the Lions in home runs and RBI, was named the Baseball Freshman of the Year.
Newberry College’s Alex Kellner was honored as the Baseball Scholar Athlete. Alex is a senior Business major with a 3.96 GPA. He is a Class Marshall, and a three-time member of both the Newberry Dean’s List and SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He is a member of the Bachman Honor Society, the most prestigious in Newberry’s history, as well as the Phi Alpha Theta historical honor society. He is the recipient of the Derrick Business Scholarship, the highest honor awarded to a business major. On the baseball field, he is batting .318 this season, the third best on the team. He led the team with seven home runs and 38 RBI this season. In the community, Alex tutors at a local middle school and serves as a coach at youth baseball camps during the summer.
2002 SOUTH
ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL AWARD WINNERS
FIRST TEAM
| Catcher | John Spencer, Wingate |
| Pitcher | Matt Huskey, Carson-Newman |
| Pitcher | Zach Snyder, Catawba |
| Pitcher | Richard Barkley, Presbyterian |
| 1st base | Jason Southerland, Carson-Newman |
| 2nd base | Jim Higgins, Carson-Newman |
| Shortstop | Jarred Hubbard, Carson-Newman |
| Shortstop | Chad Hill, Catawba |
| 3rd base | Jose Martinez, Tusculum |
| Outfield | Heath Mason, Carson-Newman |
| Outfield | Logan Flynn, Mars Hill |
| Outfield | Kevin White, Presbyterian |
| Designated hitter | Paul Pope, Lenoir-Rhyne |
SECOND TEAM
| Catcher | Wes Ward, Carson-Newman |
| Pitcher | Derrick Collins, Carson-Newman |
| Pitcher | Ryan West, Carson-Newman |
| Pitcher | Matt Howell, Lenoir-Rhyne |
| Pitcher | Marc Church, Wingate |
| 1st base | Matt Warren, Presbyterian |
| 2nd base | Craig Sizemore, Lenoir-Rhyne |
| Shortstop | Jarred Caputo, Lenoir-Rhyne |
| 3rd base | Justin Mahon, Mars Hill |
| Outfield | Aaron Shaffer, Carson-Newman |
| Outfield | Chip Bradford, Lenoir-Rhyne |
| Outfield | Andrew Romberger, Wingate |
| Designated hitter | George Hanger, Tusculum |
COACH
OF THE YEAR – Keith Kessinger, Carson-Newman College
FRESHMAN
OF THE YEAR – Justin Mahon, Mars Hill College
PLAYER
OF THE YEAR – Heath Mason, Carson-Newman College
SAC
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE –Alex Kellner, Newberry College
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
| Batting Average: Kevin White, Presbyterian, .431 |
| RBIs Per Game: Heath Mason, Carson-Newman, 1.28 |
| Doubles Per Game: Blair Reynolds, Catawba, 0.55 |
| Triples Per Game: Victor Puentes, Tusculum, 0.13 |
| Home Runs Per Game: Heath Mason, Carson-Newman, 0.30 |
| Stolen Bases Per Game: Nick Philemon, Mars Hill, 0.63 |
| Pitching Victories: Matt Huskey, Carson-Newman, 12 |
| Saves: Ryan West, Carson-Newman, 12 |
| Earned Run Average Per Game: Zach Snyder, Catawba, 1.68 |
| Strikeouts Per Nine Innings: Bobby Kennett, Lenoir-Rhyne, 9.00 |
TEAM CHAMPIONS
| Hitting Average Per Game: Carson-Newman, .344 |
| Scoring Per Game: Carson-Newman, 9.02 |
| Earned Run Average Per Game: Carson-Newman, 4.63 |
| Fielding Percentage: Tusculum, .961 |
| Win/Loss Percentage: Carson-Newman, .700 (35-15) |