Tusculum’s Calano, Wingate’s Yount Both Named to Baseball Academic All-American Team

Tusculum's Mike Calano Named Baseball Academic All-American

STAMFORD, Conn. --- Tusculum College second baseman Mike Calano has been named to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-America College Division Baseball Third Team announced Tuesday in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Calano, a sophomore from Suwanee, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian), becomes the first Pioneer baseball player and the fourth Tusculum student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors.

Calano joins former TC women's tennis standout Pam Holt, cross country runner Heather Rhoton and men's soccer goalkeeper Tony Swaminathan as the only Pioneers to garner Academic All-America status. Holt was named to the Academic All-America Second Team last spring while Rhoton received Third Team honors in 1999. Swaminathan was tabbed to the Second Team this past fall.

Calano has a 3.93 cumulative grade point average and was also named the 2003 South Atlantic Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year for Baseball. He was also selected to the Verizon Academic All-District IV First Team.

He finished second on the team in runs batted in as he posted 56 on the season, which was also third in the conference. Not bad considering Calano hit ninth in the TC batting order all season. The 2003 NCAA All-South Region Second Team selection batted .340 on the year, including 10 doubles, a triple and nine home runs. He was also named to the All-SAC First Team while staring in all 55 games.

Tusculum enjoyed one of its best diamond campaigns in school history posting a 34-21 tally sheet, tying for most wins in a season. The Pioneers advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in school history, finishing third at the South Regional held in Lakeland, Fla.

The Verizon Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who were named to district teams prior to being voted upon the national level.

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Wingate's David Yount Named Verizon Academic All-America, Third Team

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior shortstop David Yount (Forest City, N.C.) and Tusculum College second baseball Mike Calano have been named to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-America® baseball third team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Yount is the first-ever Wingate University baseball player to earn Verizon Academic All-America® honors.

Overall, Yount is the 18th Wingate University student-athlete to earn Verizon Academic All-America honors. He is the ninth WU student-athlete to receive this illustrious honor in the decade of the 2000s. Wingate University is ranked in the top 10 of NCAA Division II schools producing Verizon Academic All-America selections in the 2000s.

A first team All-South Atlantic Conference performer in 2003, Yount owns a 3.53 GPA in his sport management major. A three-year starter, Yount was the only player to start all 52 games for the Bulldogs this season. Wingate compiled a 29-23 overall record and a 13-8 mark in the South Atlantic Conference, good enough for second place in the league's regular season standings.

Yount hit .360 with seven home runs and 45 RBI this season. He led the team in stolen bases with 16. A member of the Wingate University Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Yount served as a volunteer at the Union County Special Olympics this spring.

Yount is one of two South Atlantic Conference baseball student-athletes to earn 2003 Verizon Academic All-America® honors. Tusculum College sophomore second baseman Mike Calano was also named to the third team.

The Verizon Academic All-America® teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. Student-athletes selected for Verizon Academic All-America® honors must possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale). Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools. Student-athletes are named to district teams prior to being voted upon for national honors.

Under an agreement with CoSIDA, Verizon (formerly GTE) has been the exclusive sponsor of the Academic All-America® program since 1985. America's literacy champion, Verizon strongly believes literacy is a key ingredient to success and outstanding achievements in life. The Academic All-America® program is an integral part of Verizon Reads, the company's national campaign to promote literacy through corporate philanthropy, partner collaboration, community outreach and customer and employee participation.

Following is a list of the 2003 Verizon Academic All-America® baseball teams, college division (as selected by CoSIDA).

2003 Verizon Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Teams

First Team
P Brady Endl Wisconsin-Whitewater
P Joe Neal Central Oklahoma
C Eric Cummins Missouri-Rolla
INF Eric Bell George Fox
INF Kevin Culp Westminster
INF Bryce Gardiner Western Oregon
INF Matt Macaulay Clarkson
OF Jason Cloar Rollins
OF Kyle Foster Emory
OF Matt Moore Rose-Hulman
DH Bramer Owens McMurry

Second Team
P Peter Dean Washington and Lee
P Brandon Roznovsky St. Mary's (Texas)
C Jeremy Knicely Longwood
INF Eric Cirella Salve Regina
INF Luke Klinker Nebraska Wesleyan
INF Brendan Rokke Southwest State
INF Josh Stratman Emporia State
OF Ryan Alexander Muskingum
OF Ashley Farr USC Aiken
OF Joshua Sargent George Fox
DH Rob Daggett Elmhurst

Third Team
P Evan Weinstein Longwood
P Anthony Zambotti Indiana (Pa.)
C Bob Ritter Pittsburgh-Johnstown
INF Kyle Butt Winona State
INF Mike Calano Tusculum
INF Tom Carroll St. Thomas
INF Ryan Joy Pacific (Ore.)
INF David Yount Wingate
OF Jason Longo SUNYIT
OF Mike Milstead Cal State Dominguez Hills
OF Noah Welte Thomas More

Verizon Academic All-America® of the Year
Kyle Foster - Emory