Presbyterian’s Bell, Wingate’s Yount Named to CoSIDA Academic All-America Squad

CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College baseball player Curtis Bell and Wingate's David Yount have been named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Teams announced today.

Bell was named to the 12-member first team selected by voting members of the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He becomes the first player in program history to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-America® selection. In addition, he becomes the second Blue Hose student-athlete to earn this honor during the 2003-04 academic year. Doug Belknap of the men's soccer team earned first team honors this past fall.

Bell, a 5-11, 195-pound senior third baseman from Gilbert, S.C. (Gilbert HS), hit .362 with four homeruns, 12 doubles, 37 runs scored, and 44 RBI this past season en route to first team All-South Atlantic Conference honors. He set career-highs in every major statistical category as a senior while leading the Blue Hose to a 25-30 overall record and a fourth place finish in the SAC regular season.

In the classroom, Bell is majored in physics, with a minor in mathematics and business administration and maintains a 3.94 grade point average. He has been on the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll eight semesters, the Presbyterian College Dean's List two semesters, and the President's List, for having a perfect 4.0 average, for six semesters. For his efforts, Bell was named the 2004 SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for baseball, an award given annually by the league to top student-athlete in each conference-sponsored sport.

In the community, Bell volunteers at the Thornwell School and Orphanage and Habitat for Humanity. A licensed pilot, he also donates his time and flying ability of antique airplanes at airshows and local events. He also participates in a Neighbor Day at his local airfield, taking friends and neighbors flying to see where they live from a totally new perspective.

Bell moves into elite company in Blue Hose history with this honor. Since the athletic department moved to NCAA Division II in 1993, seven student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-American Teams. Rebecca Hardiman from women's soccer was named to the third team in 1994 and the first team in 1995 & 1996. Elizabeth Roe of women's soccer was named to the first team in 1995 & 1996 while Eric Sribnick from men's cross country was named to the third team in 1997. Donny Thoresen from men's tennis was selected to the third team in 2001 while Jessi Adair from women's soccer was named the first team in 2001 & 2002. Doug Belknap of men's soccer was a third team selection in 2002 and a first team selection in 2003.

Wingate University senior shortstop David Yount (Forest City, N.C.) has been named to the 2004 Academic All-America® Baseball second team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). A repeat selection, Yount earned Academic All-America® baseball third team honors in 2003.

He is the first-ever Wingate University baseball player to earn Academic All-America® laurels. Yount graduated cum laude at Wingate's recent commencement exercises with a 3.61 GPA in his sport management major.

Yount is the only NCAA Division II baseball player to achieve an All-American "double-double" in 2004. Last month, Yount was named to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association NCAA Division II All-American second team.

Since January 1, 2000, Wingate University has produced 11 Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is ranked in the top 10 of NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000s. Yount is Wingate's 20th Academic All-America® selection all-time, tops in the South Atlantic Conference.

"David Yount has a tremendous work ethic," Wingate University head coach Bill Nash said. "He did not have one great year. David had great numbers for four years. His work ethic, consistency and pride are unparalleled."
A first team All-South Region selection in 2004, Yount led the Bulldogs in batting average (.401), runs (50), hits (87), stolen bases (25) and multiple-hit games (26). In addition, Yount had a 13-game hitting streak in 2004, tops on the team. Thanks in large part to his leadership, Yount and the Bulldogs advanced to the finals of the 2004 Food Lion SAC tournament.

At Wingate's 2004 athletic awards ceremony on April 26, Yount won the Arthur Joseph "Pepper" Geddings, Jr. Athletic Leadership Award. The Geddings award is one of Wingate's top honors, recognizing athletic ability, scholarship, leadership, citizenship, and service. He is the South Atlantic Conference's nominee for the 2004 NCAA Sportsmanship Award.

Wingate's 2004 baseball team MVP, Yount was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. He earned All-SAC honors two seasons. In addition, he was recently named to the first-ever All-State team, selected by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA).

In 2003, Yount hit .360 with seven home runs and 45 RBI. He was the only player to start all 52 games in 2003. He possesses a .330 career batting average. Wingate advanced to the NCAA Division II play-offs in 2001 (Yount's freshman year).

The Academic All-America® teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America. CoSIDA is a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible for AAA honors, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America® honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.