Monday, January 29, 2007

PC Baseball Places Two On Preseason All-SAC Second Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Two-thirds of the preseason All-South Atlantic Conference baseball second team outfield is made up of Blue Hose outfielders it was announced on Monday afternoon by the league office.

Cory Lyda (Simpsonville, S.C.) and Kyle Craven (Savannah, Ga.) were both chosen to the second team as outfielders.

Lyda was named to the second team after an impressive freshman campaign in 2006. The Hillcrest High School product concluded the season second on the team in batting average (.364) and first on the squad in hits (78).

A junior team captain, Craven led the team in batting average (.384), triples (6) and total bases (98) last season.

As a team, the Blue Hose were selected to finish sixth in the conference by the league’s nine head coaches.

Catawba College and Tusculum College, which have shared the regular-season South Atlantic Conference baseball championship the past two years, are picked to tie for first place once again.

In a vote of the league’s nine head baseball coaches, Catawba and Tusculum each finished with 73 votes. The Catawba Indians, the 2006 Food Lion SAC Tournament champion, received five first-place votes, while the Pioneers had three first-place votes.

Catawba also led the way with seven selections on the preseason All-Conference Baseball Team. Tim Smith, the reigning SAC Pitcher of the Year, is joined on the first team by pitcher Alex Fairweather and outfielders David Thomas and Jerry Sands, a preseason All-America selection by Baseball America.

Smith was 12-1 with a 3.28 ERA last season for the Indians. Sands hit .399 with 16 homers last year, while Thomas led the conference with a .413 batting average.

Pitcher Blake Kettner, second baseman Chad Baker and shortstop Zach Evans were named to the second team for Catawba.

Carson-Newman picked up one first-place vote and finished 66 points for third place in the preseason poll. The Eagles had five preseason All-Conference selections, including four on the first team.

Pitcher Matt Teague, second baseman Langdon Potts, outfielder Brandon Burchfield and designated hitter Adam Kefauver were selected to the first team for the Eagles, while Nick Achberger at third base made the second team.

Lenoir-Rhyne College is picked to finish fourth with 41 total points. The Bears had a pair of preseason All-Conference selections in shortstop Taylor MacCurdy on the first team and catcher Dallas Tarleton on the second team.

Mars Hill College, which advanced to the championship game of the 2006 Food Lion SAC Tournament, is picked to finish fifth. The Lions received 40 points.

The Lions placed four on the preseason All-Conference team. Matt Carter at first base and Marc Wassum at third base were named to the first team. Pitcher Nick Tracy and outfielder Clarke Rollins were named to the second team.

Wingate University is picked to finish seventh with 32 points. The Bulldogs also had a pair of preseason All-Conference second-team selections in first baseman Josh Benton and designated hitter Jay Barnes.

Lincoln Memorial University, in its first year of SAC competition, is picked to finish eighth, receiving 31 total points.

The Railsplitters placed catcher Dustin Rowland on the preseason All-SAC first team, while pitcher Joe Workman was named to the second team.

Newberry College rounds out the preseason poll.

Presbyterian commences its 2007 season on the road at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1 against Limestone. The Blue Hose play their first home tilt of the season at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4.
 

2007 SAC BASEBALL COACHES POLL

Pl  School                       1st       Pts.

1 (tie) Catawba                5          73

   Tusculum                      3          73

3. Carson-Newman          1          66

4. Lenoir-Rhyne                           41

5. Mars Hill                                  40

6. Presbyterian                            35

7. Wingate                                    32

8. Lincoln Memorial                     31

9. Newberry                                  14
 

2007 PRESEASON SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Catcher – Dustin Rowland, Lincoln Memorial

Pitcher – Tim Smith, Catawba

Pitcher – Matt Teague, Carson-Newman

Pitcher - Alex Fairweather, Catawba

First Base – Matt Carter, Mars Hill

Second Base – Langdon Potts, Carson-Newman

Shortstop – Taylor MacCurdy, Lenoir-Rhyne

Third Base – Marc Wassum, Mars Hill

Outfield – David Thomas, Catawba

Outfield – Brandon Burchfield, Carson-Newman

Outfield – Jerry Sands, Catawba

Designated Hitter – Adam Kefauver, Carson-Newman

Second Team

Catcher – Dallas Tarleton, Lenoir-Rhyne

Pitcher – Blake Kettner, Catawba

Pitcher – Joe Workman, Lincoln Memorial

Pitcher – Nick Tracy, Mars Hill

First Base – Josh Benton, Wingate

Second Base – Chad Baker, Catawba

Shortstop – Zach Evans, Catawba

Third Base – Nick Achberger, Carson-Newman

Outfield – Cory Lyda, Presbyterian

Outfield – Kyle Craven, Presbyterian

Outfield – Clarke Rollins, Mars Hill

Designated Hitter – Jay Barnes, Wingate