Four SAC Baseball Players Named Tino Martinez Award Semifinalists
TAMPA - Four baseball student-athletes from the SAC have been selected as semifinalists for the 2012 Tino Martinez Division II National Player of the Year Award. Only 55 Division II players and just eight from the Southeast Region were named semifinalists.
Leading off the list of SAC semifinalists is Carson-Newman senior first baseman Kyle Koeneman, the conference's Player of the Year.
Koeneman led the SAC this season with a .883 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .548.
He ranked second in the conference with 20 home runs and second in walks with 51.
Craig Goodman of SAC-Champion Tusculum was one of just two pitchers named semifinalists from the Southeast Region. Goodman went 10-0 this season for the Pioneers, led the league with an ERA of 2.09 and finished third in the conference with 80 strikeouts.
Goodman's opponent batting average of .228 also led the SAC. He was selected as the league's co-Pitcher of the Year last month.
Wingate senior outfielder Casey Allison was also named a Tino Martinez Award semifinalist after leading the nation with 22 home runs. He also led the SAC with 68 RBI.
Allison had the conference's third-highest slugging percentage at .744 as well.
Mars Hill first baseman Coty Pate was the SAC's final semifinalist. The senior hit .413 for the Lions this season, and finished second in the conference with a .778 slugging percentage, fifth in home runs with 14 and sixth in RBI with 52.
The Tino Martinez Award winner will be announced at the conclusion of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, N.C. Finalists will be named on May 21.