Friday, January 20, 2006

BLUE HOSE BASEBALL PICKED SEVENTH IN SAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL

ROCK HILL, S. C. — Presbyterian College received 22 votes and were picked to finish seventh in the race for the 2006 South Atlantic Conference baseball championship announced Thursday in a vote by the league’s eight baseball coaches.

The Blue Hose placed two players on the preseason All-SAC teams in infielders Matt Bodie and Evan Sowell. Bodie, a senior from Aiken, S.C., led the Blue Hose in batting average (.375) in 2005, while added five homeruns and 33 RBI. Sowell, a senior from Chesterfield, S.C., hit a career-best .295 at the plate and posted 146 assists this past season, the second-highest assist total in the program’s single-season history.

Tusculum College, which won the 2005 South Atlantic Conference championship, as well as the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, was picked to win the 2006 championship. The Pioneers received six first-place votes and a total of 62 points. The Pioneers placed a league-high eight players on the preseason All-Conference Team, which was also announced.

Returning First Team All-Conference selections, pitcher Brent Gabel, who went 10-1 last season with 80 strikeouts, and third baseman Skip Talarek, who led the Pioneers with a .410 batting average last season to go along with a single-season school record of 68 runs scored, 68 runs batted in, and 47 walks, are joined by outfielder Josh Wolff, pitcher Kenny Lewis, and second baseman Tim Brown to start the year on the Preseason First Team. Tusculum is also represented on the Second Team by pitcher Wes Hill, shortstop Greg Stotser, and outfielder Matt Riggs.

Catawba College, which shared the 2005 regular season championship with Tusculum, is picked to finish second, receiving two first-place votes and a total of 54 points. The Indians placed four on the preseason All-Conference team, all of them First Team selections.

Designated hitter Jimbo Davis, who batted .380 last season to go along with 17 home runs and 65 RBI, and first baseman Aaron Rimer, who had 12 home runs with a .350 batting average, are joined by catcher Matt Smith and pitcher Mark Smith on the First Team. 

Carson-Newman College, which advanced to the championship game of last year’s Food Lion SAC Tournament, received a total of 49 points and is picked to finish third in the poll. The Eagles also put three on the preseason squad.

Junior pitcher Matt Teague and senior Derrick Calkin, who were both Second Team All- Conference performers last year, make the Second Team once again. They are joined by outfielder Brandon Burchfield to the squad.

Wingate University, which went 21-32 last year, is picked to finish fourth. The Bulldogs received 31 points. Wingate designated hitter Jay Barnes is a preseason All-Conference Second Team selection.

Lenoir-Rhyne College, which had a 28-23 record last season, received 28 votes to finish fifth in the poll. The Bears placed five on the preseason All-Conference Team. Shortstop Taylor MacCurdy and outfielders John Pugh and Matt Wiley make the First Team, while catcher John Verdinek and pitcher Jess Jordan receive Second Team honors.

Newberry College is picked to finish sixth. The Indians received 23 points.

Mars Hill College received 19 points in the poll. Outfielder Matt Russell represents the Lions on the preseason All-Conference Second Team squad.

The 2006 baseball season begins Wednesday, February 1 with Lenoir-Rhyne at Lander, Mars Hill playing at home against Virginia Intermont, Newberry at USC Upstate, and Wingate traveling to play St. Andrews. The season concludes April 20-23 with the 2006 Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament, which will be held at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum College in Greenville, TN and Caron-Newman College’s Silver Diamond Complex in Jefferson City, TN.

2006 SAC BASEBALL COACHES POLL

Pl.     School                                       Pts.
1.     Tusuclum College (6)             62
2.     Catawba College (2)              54
3.     Carson-Newman College         49
4.     Wingate University                31
5.     Lenoir-Rhyne College             28
6.     Newberry College                  23
7.       Presbyterian College             22
8.     Mars Hill College                    19  

2006 PRESEASON SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM