Tuesday, April 19, 2005

 

GABEL, PIONEERS EARN SAC BASEBALL AWARDS

 

Brent Gabel - SAC Pitcher of the Year
Brent Gabel
SAC Pitcher of the Year
All-SAC First Team

                ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Six Tusculum College baseball players have been named to the 2005 All-South Atlantic Conference team, including Brent Gabel who was tabbed the SAC Pitcher of the Year, announced league officials Tuesday. 

 

Joining Gabel on the All-SAC First Team is junior third baseman Skip Talarek, who earns the honor for a second straight year.  George Hanger, Josh Wolff, Tim Brown and Kenny Lewis were all named to the Second Team.  Wolff was also recognized for his efforts off the field, being named the SAC Scholar Athlete for Baseball.  He becomes the third Tusculum player in the last five years to receive this award.

                Gabel, a junior from Conneautville, Pa., has posted a SAC best 9-0 record as he helped lead the 24th-ranked Pioneers to its first South Atlantic Conference title.  Gabel posted a 3.00 earned run average and recorded 67 strikeouts, which was second in the league.

 

Skip Talarek
Skip Talarek
All-SAC First Team

                Talarek returns to the All-SAC First Team, as he was Tusculum's leading hitter at .427, scoring 51 runs and hit a team-best nine home runs.  He also led the league in on-base percentage (.548) and tied for walks (35).

 

                Hanger makes his third appearance on the All-SAC team as the Pioneers' designated hitter.  The Staunton, Va. senior finished second on the team hitting .387, including a team best .456 against SAC squads.  He is also Tusculum's all-time hits leader (220) and also holds the school record for career sacrifice flies.

               

Lewis, a junior from Scottsville, Va., posted a 7-2 record on the mound for Tusculum with a 3.88 ERA.  The southpaw made a successful return to the TC line-up after missing the 2004 season due injury and is currently tied for second on Tusculum's all-time victories list at 19.

 

                Wolff is enjoying his finest season in a Pioneer uniform hitting .355 as Tusculum's lead-off hitter.  The Louisville, Ky. junior outfielder has clubbed a team-best 16 doubles and is second on the team with 16 stolen bases.

 

Kenny Lewis Josh Wolff George Hanger Tim Brown
Kenny Lewis
All-SAC Second Team
Josh Wolff
SAC Scholar Athlete
All-SAC Second Team
George Hanger
All-SAC Second Team
Tim Brown
All-SAC Second Team

                Brown earns All-Conference recognition in his first Tusculum season.  The Flint, Mich. junior second baseman is hitting .329 with 14 doubles and 26 RBI.

 

                The Pioneers were also recognized being named SAC Statistical Champions.  Junior outfielder Kenny Reed (Knoxville, Tenn.) is leading the league in stolen bases averaging 0.48 per contest.  Gabel was also honored leading the league in pitching victories with nine.  The Pioneers also claimed two team awards including best earned run average (3.50) and best win/loss percentage (.739).

 

                Tusculum (34-12) will be hosting the 2005 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament this week at Pioneer Park beginning on Thursday.

 

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