Thursday, January 29, 2004

TUSCULUM COLLEGE PICKED TO WIN 2004 SAC BASEBALL TITLE
Blue Hose picked fifth in preseason poll

ROCK HILL, SC — Tusculum College, which finished as runner-up in the 2003 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament and returns All-American third baseman Guy O'Connell, has been picked to win this year's regular season championship, in a vote by the eight league head coaches.

The Pioneers finished fourth in the regular season standings last year. After dropping their first game in the tournament, the Pioneers came through the loser‚s bracket with four straight wins to advance to the championship game, where they fell to Presbyterian. Tusculum advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Tusculum returns 22 letterwinners and three starters off that club. The Pioneers received six first-place votes and 62 total votes in the coaches poll.

The Pioneers also led the way with seven players named to the preseason All-Conference Team. Along with returning O‚Connell, the reigning SAC Baseball Player of the Year and SAC Athlete of the Year, the Pioneers return All-Conference second baseman Mike Calano. Also making the preseason All-Conference first team is pitcher Brian Lovett. Representing the Pioneers on the second team are pitcher Chap Morris, shortstop Robbie Bouman, outfielder Aaron Frye and designated hitter George Hanger.

Carson-Newman College, last year‚s regular season champions, received one first-place vote and is picked to finish second with 52 total points. The Eagles placed three on the preseason All-Conference team, including outfielder Nathan Gravley, a returning first team All-Conference member, as well as catcher Wes Ward and second baseman Bret Lindsey, a preseason second team selection.

Catawba College also garnered one first-place vote and 46 total votes and is picked to finish third. The Indians should have plenty of talent to make a run for a league title with six players on the preseason All-Conference squad. Leading the way is two-time All-Conference pitcher Zach Snyder, who was 7-4 last year with a 2.91 ERA. Joining Snyder on the preseason All-Conference first team from Catawba are first baseman Matt Baker and outfielder Spence Southard. Catcher Matt Smith, pitcher Matt Fairweather and third baseman Scott Searles were named to the second team.

Wingate University garnered 41 points and is picked to finish fourth. The Bulldogs placed four on the preseason All-Conference team. Shortstop David Yount and designated hitter Sherman Greer return after receiving first team All-Conference honors last year. Pitcher Eric Brown and outfielder Andrew Connor were named to the preseason second team.

Presbyterian College, which won the 2003 Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament, comes in as the pick to finish fifth with 31 points. The Blue Hose‚s only preseason All-Conference pick is outfielder Kevin White, a two-time All-Conference pick who batted .397 last year with 13 home runs and 50 RBI.

Newberry College is picked to finish sixth with 27 points. The Indians placed four representatives on the preseason All-Conference team, with pitcher Russell Haltiwanger, who led the SAC in strikeouts last year, on the first team. Catcher Robert Locke, first baseman Travis Moore and outfielder Stuart Kay were named to the second team.

Lenoir-Rhyne College was picked to finish seventh, followed by Mars Hill.

The 2004 baseball season begins Saturday with three teams in action. The season wraps up April 22-25 with the 2004 Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament, which will be held at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC and Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.

2004 SAC BASEBALL COACHES POLL

2004 PRESEASON SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

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