2008 Baseball All-Conference Team, Award Winners Announced

Catawba's Thomas, Carson-Newman's Hontz named Player, Pitcher of the Year

ROCK HILL, SC – Catawba College senior outfielder David Thomas, who helped lead the Indians to the conference championship, and Carson-Newman College senior Brett Hontz took the South Atlantic Conference’s top baseball awards, the league announced today.

Thomas (Winston-Salem, NC/Ledford), was named the league’s Player of the Year after leading the conference with a .790 slugging percentage. He hit .442 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI. Hontz (Newtown Square, Penn./Del. County Christian), was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year after going 9-1 with a 1.99 earned run average. He had one complete game shutout and struck out 82 in 81.1 innings of work.

The awards were presented Wednesday night on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. The Food Lion SAC Baseball Tournament begins Thursday with three games at Lenoir-Rhyne’s Bears Field.

David Thomas

Brett Hontz

Josh McElwee

Dustin Morrow

Catawba Coach Jim Gantt, who guided the Indians to their fourth conference championship in the past five years, was named Coach of the Year. He wins the award for the fourth time in his career.

Newberry freshman pitcher Josh McElwee (Andrews, S.C./Andrews HS), who led the conference in total strikeouts and strikeouts per game, was named Freshman of the Year.

Catawba led the way with nine All-Conference selections, including six on the First Team. Joining Thomas on the First Team are pitcher Blake Ketner, relief pitcher Tim Holmes, shortstop Chris Ahearn, outfielder Jerry Sands, and designated hitter Brett Hatley.

Tusculum had seven All-Conference selections, with four making the First Team. Pitcher Boo Morrow, catcher Christian Rosa, first baseman Dustin Morrow and second baseman Maikol Gonzalez all earned First Team honors.

Carson-Newman placed five on the All-Conference squad, with Hontz and outfielder Nick Achberger selected to the First Team.

Lenoir-Rhyne third baseman Dan Ford rounds out the First Team.

Mars Hill placed two on the Second Team, and Lincoln Memorial had one Second Team selection. 

The South Atlantic Conference All-Conference teams are selected by the league’s head coaches.

Tusculum first baseman Dustin Morrow was named the SAC’s Scholar Athlete for baseball.

Morrow is a two-time All-Conference selection and had a 21-game hitting streak in 2007.

In the classroom, he has a 3.93 GPA as an secondary math education major. He was selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team in 2007 and is a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society.

On campus and in the community, Morrow serves as secretary and budget committee chair of the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has helped raise money for Make-a-Wish and Tsunami relief, and has worked to provide food baskets and gifts at Christmas for needy families. He has helped with cleaning and painting at a therapeutic horseback riding center and a river picnic area.

Regular season statistical champions and senior awards were also announced.

2008 SOUTH ATLANTIC ALL-CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM
Catcher – Christian Rosa, Tusculum
Pitcher – Brett Hontz, Carson-Newman
Pitcher – Blake Ketner, Catawba
Pitcher – Boo Morrow, Tusculum
Relief Pitcher – Tim Holmes, Catawba
First Base – Dustin Morrow, Tusculum
Second Base – Maikol Gonzalez, Tusculum
Shortstop – Chris Ahearn, Catawba
Third Base – Dan Ford, Lenoir-Rhyne
Outfielder – David Thomas, Catawba
Outfielder – Jerry Sands, Catawba
Outfielder – Nick Achberger, Carson-Newman
Designated Hitter – Brett Hatley, Catawba

SECOND TEAM
Catcher – Ryan Query, Catawba *
Catcher – Mike Dobre, Mars Hill *
Pitcher – Raymond Ruggles, Tusculum
Pitcher – Alex Fairweather, Catawba
Pitcher – Brandon Petty, Newberry
Relief Pitcher – Mat Galens, Tusculum
First Base – Derek Long, Carson-Newman
Second Base – Langdon Potts, Carson-Newman
Shortstop – Derek Treece, Lincoln Memorial
Third Base – Craige Lyerly, Catawba
Outfielder – Carlos Rivera, Tusculum
Outfielder – Austin Boehme, Mars Hill
Outfielder – Jason Gray, Carson-Newman
Designated Hitter – Nick Martin, Newberry
* tie

COACH OF THE YEAR – Jim Gantt, Catawba
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Josh McElwee, Newberry
PITCHER OF THE YEAR – Brett Hontz, Carson-Newman
PLAYER OF THE YEAR – David Thomas, Catawba
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE – Dustin Morrow, Tusculum

Jim Gantt

 
BASEBALL STAT CHAMPIONS
Maikol Gonzalez, Tusculum, Batting Average, .475
Christian Rosa, Tusculum, On-Base Percentage, .536
Christian Rosa, Tusculum, Runs Scored Per Game, 1.4
Langdon Potts, Carson-Newman, Triples Per Game, .160
Jerry Sands, Catawba, RBIs Per Game, 1.39
Jerry Sands, Catawba, Home Runs Per Game, .370
David Thomas, Catawba, Slugging Percentage, .787
TeWayne Willis, Lincoln Memorial, Stolen Bases Per Game, .750
Boo Morrow, Tusculum, Earned Run Average, 1.47
Brett Hontz, Carson-Newman, Pitching Victories, 9
Josh McElwee, Newberry, Strikeouts Per Game, 11.55
Mars Hill, Team Batting Average, .352
Catawba, Slugging Percentage, .529
Lincoln Memorial, On-Base Percentage, .426
Catawba, Runs Per Game, 8.15
Mars Hill, Doubles Per Game, 2.68
Tusculum, Triples Per Game, .62
Catawba, Home Runs Per Game, 1.39
Catawba. RBIs Per Game. 7.57
Catawba, Stolen Bases Per Game, 1.76
Tusculum, Earned Run Average, 3.23
Lenoir-Rhyne, Stikeouts Per Game, 7.47

SENIOR AWARDS

Carson-Newman
Nick Achberger
Jonathan McMahon
Cory McGinnis
Jason Gray
Langdon Potts
Jeremy Yoder
Brett Hontz
Chris Cameron
Kaleb Goforth
Willie Buchanan

Catawba
David Thomas
Chad Baker
Bubba Morris
Tim Smith
Matt Kepley
Matt Seabolt

Lenoir-Rhyne
Jesse Beane
Mark Drucker
J.D. Harrison
Josh Keller
John Patterson
Evan Wise

Lincoln Memorial
Derek Treece
Storm Kaufman
TeWayne Willis

Mars Hill
Adam Atkinson
Brendan Blackwell
Austin Boehme
Cody Branton
James Dean
David DeSilva
Tyler Greene
Charlie Harrison
Dustin Kerley
Danny Miller
Ryan Smith
Eric Stewart

Newberry
Stephen Byrd
Nick Martin
Tyler Manasa
Casey Faulkenberry
Chad Perschbacher
Brandon Petty
Gray Berryhill
Chris Bremer
Travis Howard

Tusculum
Justin Johnson
Maikol Gonzalez
Raymond Ruggles
Carlos Rivera
Marc Hyndsman
Morgan Tyson
Dustin Morrow
Adam Wilson
Mat Galens
Matt Webb
Carlos Ortiz
Eric Donahue
Christian Rosa
Ryan Pfl eger
Andrew Winslow

Wingate
Mark Letchworth

Catawba's David Thomas receives his 2008 SAC Baseball Player of the Year Award from Commissioner Doug Echols during the baseball awards banquet.	Carson-Newman's Brett Hontz receives his 2008 SAC Baseball Pitcher of the Year Award from Commissioner Doug Echols during the baseball awards banquet.
Newberry's Josh McElwee receives his award for 2008 SAC Baseball Freshman Of The Year from Commissioner Doug Echols during the baseball awards banquet.	Catawba head coach Jim Gantt receives the 2008 SAC Baseball Coach Of The Year Award from Commissioner Doug Echols during the baseball awards banquet.
Tusculum's Dustin Morrow receives the 2008 SAC Scholar-Athlete Award for baseball from Commissioner Doug Echols during the baseball awards banquet.