Monday, April 23, 2007

SIX PIONEERS NAMED TO SAC ALL-TOURNAMENT BASEBALL TEAM

Christian Rosa	Paul Finger	Kevin Hammons	Brandon Tuten	Ben Swaggerty	Aaron Porter

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Six Tusculum College baseball players have been named to the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference All-Tournament Team announced league officials Monday.

Christian Rosa, Paul Finger, Kevin Hammons, Brandon Tuten, Ben Swaggerty and Aaron Porter were named to the All-Tournament squad. The six selections were the most of the league schools, followed by tournament champion Carson-Newman with five, Wingate had two honorees while Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba had one selection each.

Rosa, a junior catcher from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, hit .400 during Tusculum's five tournament games where he went 8-for-20, including his eight home run of the season, a solo blast in Sunday's second championship game. The 2007 All-SAC First Team honoree also stole three bases and added two RBI.

All-SAC third baseman Paul Finger (Lincolnton, N.C.) was solid at the plate during the tournament as he went 8-for-19 for a .421 average. Finger tallied a pair of doubles and drove in three runs.

Hammons, the SAC Pitcher of the Year, lived up to his billing as he posted a 1-0 record and a 2.25 earned run average in his two mound appearances. The Jonesborough, Tenn. senior pitched eight innings, including seven in TC's 5-3 opening win over Wingate. Hammons struck out 10 and allowed on three hits.

Tuten posted a complete-game pitching effort against Lenoir-Rhyne in Tusculum's second game. Tuten, a Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. product, scattered six hits and allowed an unearned run in the 7-1 win over the Bears. He walked three and struck out seven in the victory.

Swaggerty, a senior southpaw pitcher from Knoxville, Tenn., was brilliant in his three appearances on the mound. In his eight innings, Swaggerty allowed just two hits and struck out seven as he posted his fourth save of the year.

Porter led TC with his .444 average, starting all five games, including the last three at second base. Porter (Clinton, Tenn.) went 8-for-18 with two doubles and scored three runs.

Tusculum (44-12), ranked No. 14 in NCAA Division II, and will host No. 24 USC Upstate on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. contest.

- SAC -

SAC All-Tournament Baseball Team

Nick Achberger, Carson-Newman (MVP)

Langdon Potts, Carson-Newman

Matt Teague, Carson-Newman

Mark Carroll, Carson-Newman

Brett Hontz, Carson-Newman

Christian Rosa, Tusculum

Paul Finger, Tusculum

Kevin Hammons, Tusculum

Brandon Tuten, Tusculum

Ben Swaggerty, Tusculum

Aaron Porter, Tusculum

Shaughn Neal, Wingate

Josh Benton, Wingate

David Thomas, Catawba

Taylor MacCurdy, Lenoir-Rhyne