Wednesday, May 16, 2007

 

SIX PIONEERS NAMED TO DAKTRONICS ALL-SOUTH REGION BASEBALL TEAM

 

Maikol Gonzalez Kevin Hammons Carlos Rivera Christian Rosa Mat Galens C.J. Hillyer
Maikol Gonzalez
Region Player of the Year
Kevin Hammons
Region Pitcher of the Year
Carlos Rivera
All-Region 1st Team
Christian Rosa
All-Region 1st Team
Mat Galens
All-Region 2nd Team
C.J. Hillyer
All-Region 2nd Team

               
LAKELAND, Fla. --- Two players who helped lead Tusculum College to its third straight South Atlantic Conference championship – second baseman Maikol Gonzalez and pitcher Kevin Hammons – are the 2007 Daktronics Division II South Region Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. 

 

In all, Tusculum had six players named to the All-South Region Team.  Joining Gonzalez and Hammons on the First Team are Carlos Rivera and Christian Rosa.  Pitchers C.J. Hillyer and Mat Galens were named to the All-Region Second Team.

 

Gonzalez, a junior from Maracaibo, Venezuela is hitting .446, leads NCAA Division II in with 14 triples to go along with 62 RBI and 19 stolen bases.  He was named the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and was an All-SAC First Team selection. 

 

Hammons, a senior lefthander from Jonesborough, Tenn., leads the Pioneers with a 9-1 record and a 2.27 earned run average.  He has struck out 77 and walked just 18 in 71.1 innings.  He was the SAC Pitcher of the Year and was also named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team.

 

Rivera, a junior outfielder from Leesburg, Va., is second on the team with his .394 average to go along with 15 doubles, eight triples and four home runs.  He is third on the squad with 58 RBI and is second with 21 stolen bases.  The All-SAC First Team pick has already established TC single-season records with 93 hits and 236 at-bats.

 

Rosa was named the All-Region First Team catcher as he is hitting .349 this season so far.  Rosa is tied for the team lead with 62 RBI and has accounted for 13 doubles, three triples and a team-best eight home runs.  The All-SAC First Team catcher is the only player on the TC roster to play in all 60 games this season.

 

Hillyer, a junior lefthander from Abington, Mass., has recorded an 8-1 record and a 2.78 ERA.  Hillyer has been credited with a shutout in his 71.1 innings where he has 54 strikeouts in his 11 starts.  He was also named to the All-SAC First Team.

 

Galens, a junior righthander from Louisville, Ky., earns his first All-Region accolade.  The two-time All-SAC selection has a 3-1 record, a 1.16 ERA and has tied a school record with his 24 mound appearances this year.  Galens leads the team with five saves and has struck out 48 in his 38.2 innings of work.

 

Tusculum is ranked No. 10 in the country and is the second seed in this year’s NCAA II South Regional, being played this week in Tampa, Fla.  TC will face 17th-ranked Florida Southern on Thursday at 3 p.m.

 

                The Daktronics All-South Region Team was selected by a vote of sports information directors from the South Atlantic Conference, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Sunshine State Conference, plus independent Florida Gulf Coast.  Players named to the First Team will appear on the national ballot for the Daktronics Division II All-America Team.

 

- TC -

 

Daktronics All-South Region First Team

1B – Bryan Cook, Jr., Nova Southeastern - .399, 13 HR, 59 RBI

2B – Maikol Gonzalez, Jr., Tusculum, - .446, 2 HR, 62 RBI

SS – Steve Condotta, Sr., Florida Tech - .431, 4 HR, 50 RBI, 42 SB

3B – Craig Corrado, Sr., Tampa - .437, 9 HR, 57 RBI

OF – Nicolas Boisvert, Sr., Lynn - .436, 15 HR, 43 RBI, 22 SB

OF – Will Cherry, So., Florida Southern – 386, 5 HR, 49 RBI

OF – Carlos Rivera, Jr., Tusculum - .394, 4 HR, 58 RBI, 21 SB

C - Christian Rosa, Jr., Tusculum - .349, 8 HR, 62 RBI

DH – Josh Benton, Sr., Wingate - .364, 14 HR, 58 RBI

UT – Orestes Gonzalez, Sr., Barry - .381, 8 HR, 38 RBI

SP – Kevin Hammons, Sr., Tusculum – 9-1, 2.27 ERA

SP – Kevin Ferguson, Jr., Tampa – 11-2, 2.68 ERA

SP – Dan Albritton, Sr., Florida Southern – 9-2, 3.69 ERA

SP – Matt Teague, Sr., Carson-Newman – 7-1, 2.89 ERA

RP – Jonathan Holt, Jr., Tampa – 2-2, 1.99, 16 saves

 

Daktronics All-South Region Second Team*

1B – Joe Arminio, Jr., Lynn - .398, 10 HR, 55 RBI

2B – Ryan Kennedy, Sr., Tampa - .383, 13 HR, 57 RBI

SS – Shawn Langlois, Sr., Nova Southeastern - .364, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 39 SB

3B – Ozzie Borrell, Jr., Florida Gulf Coast - .358, 5 HR, 59 RBI

OF – Matt Mindick, Jr., Nova Southeastern - .414, 12 HR, 61 RBI

OF – TeWayne Willis, Jr., Lincoln Memorial - .382, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 42 SB

OF – Paul Cruz, Jr., Tampa - .369, 4 HR, 31 RBI

OF – Andrew Frezza, Jr., Barry - .357, 7 HR, 55 RBI

C  -  Ricky Nolan, Jr., Saint Leo - .341, 2 HR, 37 RBI

C –  Dustin Rowland, Sr., Lincoln Memorial - .387, 2 HR, 51 RBI

DH – Tristan Rainone, Jr., Florida Southern - .375, 5 HR, 30 RBI

UT – Stephen Rassel, Jr., Florida Gulf Coast - .350, 3 HR, 47 RBI

SP – David Bernat, Sr., Barry – 9-3, 3.59 ERA

SP – Ryan Clark, Jr., Saint Leo – 9-2, 2.61 ERA

SP – David Nathanson, Sr., Rollins – 9-3, 3.04 ERA

SP – C.J. Hillyer, Jr., Tusculum – 8-1, 2.78 ERA

SP – Jason Kiley, Sr., Florida Gulf Coast – 7-5, 3.36 ERA

SP – Scott Chapman, Jr., Tampa – 6-0, 3.34 ERA

RP – Mat Galens, Jr., Tusculum – 3-1, 1.16 ERA, 5 saves

RP – Mark Carroll, Sr., Carson-Newman – 4-3, 2.68 ERA, 7 saves

*additional positions due to ties in voting