SAC Places 11 Baseball Players On Daktronics All-Southeast Region Team

SAC Places 11 Baseball Players On Daktronics All-Southeast Region Team
May 14, 2009

AIKEN, S.C. -- Eleven baseball players from the South Atlantic Conference, including five from conference champion Tusculum College, have been named to the 2009 Daktronics Division II All-Southeast Region Baseball Team.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The online nomination and voting processes are powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM. Headquartered in Charleston, S.C., ATHLETICSITE.COM is the official provider for college athletic websites for over 30 sports organizations, including 26 colleges, universities and conferences primarily at the NCAA Division II level. To receive more information on how your institution can partner with ATHLETICSITE.COM for a customized website solution, visit www.athleticsite.com.

The Southeast Region consists of the South Atlantic Conference, the Peach Belt Conference, Conference Carolinas and North Greenville University.

C.J. Hillyer
Nate Grabowski
Jared Richmond
Max Keleher
Rob Currie
Mark Letchworth
Max Loveland
Craige Lyerly
Ryan Query
Blake Ketner
Brian Williams


Tusculum

Five Tusculum College players have been named to the 2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Team announced officials Wednesday. C.J. Hillyer and Nate Grabowski were named to the All-Region First Team, while Jared Richmond, Max Keleher and Rob Currie garnered Second Team honors.

The Pioneers (36-16) are playing in this week's NCAA Division II Southeast Regional in Aiken, S.C. Tusculum (ranked No. 30 in NCAA II) will face seventh-ranked Francis Marion, this Thursday at 7 p.m. for USC Aiken's Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

Hillyer, a 6-3, 245-pound left-handed pitcher from Abington, Mass., earns his second All-Region honor in his Tusculum career. He was tabbed to the Daktronics All-South Region Second Team in 2007. The 2009 South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year leads the Pioneers with his 7-2 record and a 2.55 earned run average, which is the sixth lowest in school history. He has made 14 appearances this season, including 13 starts, which are tied for sixth most in Tusculum history. The two-time All-SAC standout has tossed 77.2 innings where he has walked 14 to go along with a team-best 53 strikeouts.

Grabowski, a 5-10, 190-pound outfielder, leads Tusculum with his .410 batting average, which is the 10th best in TC history. The Pennellville, N.Y. junior also leads the squad in runs scored (51), hits (73), doubles (16), walks (34) and on-base percentage. The 2009 All-SAC First Team choice went 11-for-19 (.579) at last month's SAC Tournament, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Grabowski's walk tally is the eighth best in TC history while his on-base percentage is currently the seventh highest ever by a Pioneer. He has also tallied seven home runs and a pair of triples and enters this year's NCAA Regional riding an eight-game hitting streak.

Richmond, a 6-2, 200-pound outfielder from Fort Smith, Ark., has been Tusculum's top power-hitter this season, leading the team in triples (6), home runs (11), RBI (49), total bases (119) and slugging percentage (.708). The All-SAC First Team honoree is second on the squad with his .363 batting average. The junior has also posted 13 doubles and his 14 stolen bases are second most on the team. He has emerged as one of the best defensive outfielders in the nation, recording eight fielding assists from his position.

Keleher, a 6-2, 195-pound right-handed starting pitcher, has shined in the final weeks of the regular season. The Port Charlotte, Fla. senior has accumulated a 7-2 record with a 3.90 ERA. The All-SAC Second Team selection has pitched back-to-back shutouts in his last two starts in wins against Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate. He also pitched 0.2 innings of scoreless relief against Catawba in the SAC Tournament final. Keleher has recorded 51 strikeouts in his 55.1 innings of action, while limiting the opposition to hit just .242 against him.

Currie, a 6-6, 240-pound senior relief pitcher from St. Charles, Ill., rounds out Tusculum's list of honorees. Currie, who was selected as the All-SAC First Team relief pitcher, has made 20 appearances where he has a 5-1 record with a 0.96 ERA to go along with six saves. The six saves are the fourth-most ever by a Pioneer reliever. Currie is holding the opposition to a .201 batting average, while striking out 49 with only 17 walks in his 46.1 innings.

Wingate

Wingate University senior outfielder Mark Letchworth (Greenville, N.C.) has been named to the 2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II Baseball All-Southeast Region first team. The All-Region teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The 2009 season marks the third year CoSIDA has selected All-Region and All-American teams in baseball and softball. Letchworth and the other 14 first team honorees will advance to the national ballot. The members of CoSIDA will select three Daktronics All-America teams (first, second and third) comprised of 15 players each based on position.

Mark Letchworth is the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year. A first team All-SAC selection, Letchworth posted 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 59 runs scored, 20 doubles, 156 total bases and a .765 slugging percentage this year. He led the league in doubles, while charting in either the second or third position in the other categories.

Wingate's top hitter with a .392 batting average, Letchworth was the only player on the Bulldog roster to start all 52 games this season. A very consistent performer, Letchworth hit .402 in conference games, with eight homers, 35 RBI and an .805 slugging percentage. He also had nine doubles and 25 runs scored in league play.

Lenoir-Rhyne

Lenoir-Rhyne University's Max Loveland has been named to the 2009 NCAA Division II Daktronics All-Southeast Region Second Team in baseball as a utility player.

Loveland, a junior from Bradenton, Fla., led L-R runs scored (49), hits (65), doubles (20), home runs (seven), runs batted in (46), total bases (108) and slugging percentage (.667) in 2009 while hitting a second-best .401.

As the team's top relief pitcher as well, Loveland fashioned a 2-0 mark with a 3.79 earned run average and tied the school single-season save record with seven.

Last month, Loveland earned Second-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors as an outfielder.

Lenoir-Rhyne finished the 2009 campaign with a 24-23 record.

2009 DAKTRONICS, INC. NCAA DIVISION II
ALL-SOUTHEAST REGION BASEBALL TEAM
First Team
1B: Ken Raborn, USC Aiken
2B: Chas Anthony, Erskine
SS: Rich Racobaldo, Mount Olive
3B: Craige Lyerly, Catawba
OF: Bryan Fogle, Erskine
OF: Mark Letchworth, Wingate
OF: Nate Grabowski, Tusculum
C: Ryan Query, Catawba
DH: Travis Howard, USC Aiken
UT: Alex Vertcnik, Mount Olive
SP: Cody Walden, Armstrong Atlantic State
SP: Nick Fogleman, Pfeiffer
SP: C.J. Hillyer, Tusculum
SP: Blake Ketner, Catawba
RP: Martin Dewald, Georgia College & State

Second Team
1B: Daniel Kassouf, Belmont Abbey
2B: Brooks Robinson, Georgia College & State
SS: Barrett Kleinknecht, Francis Marion
3B: Keon Graves, Francis Marion
OF: Alex Wyche, Armstrong Atlantic State
OF: Cody McMorris, USC Aiken
OF: Jared Richmond, Tusculum
C: Jared Barkdoll, Francis Marion
DH: Brian Williams, Mars Hill
UT: Max Loveland, Lenoir-Rhyne
SP: Jeremiah Meiners, Francis Marion
SP: Tyler Powell, Belmont Abbey
SP: Max Keleher, Tusculum
SP: David Walters, Francis Marion
RP: Rob Currie, Tusculum

Player Of The Year: Travis Howard, USC Aiken
Pitcher Of The Year: Cody Walden, Armstrong Atlantic State