Catawba’s Baker Named South Region Baseball Player of Year

ROCK HILL - Catawba College's, Matt Baker (Charlotte, NC) has been named the ABCA/Rawlings South Region Baseball Player of the Year. He was one of six players from the South Atlantic Conference named to the First Team. Three more players from the SAC were named to the Second Team.

Baker, a junior second baseman was joined on the all-region first team by sophomore designated hitter Jimbo Davis (Salisbury, NC) and senior pitcher Thomas Wilson (Smithfield, NC) from Catawba; shortstop David Yount from Wingate; and outfielders Nathan Gravley from Carson-Newman and Kevin White from Presbyterian.

Second team members were first baseman Sherman Greer of Wingate; pitcher Chad Gillis of Carson-Newman and Tusculum's Guy O'Connell at utility.

Baker, a former standout from Central Cabarrus High School, led the South Atlantic Conference in average, hits and doubles and was named the league's Co-Player of the Year with White. He hit .411 for the year, and collected a school record 99 hits. His 30 doubles set a Catawba and league mark. Baker added four triples and 11 home runs, tallying 60 RBI and scoring 58 runs.

Davis, who played at North Rowan High School, set a school record and led the SAC with 79 RBI. He hit .343 and also led the team with 13 home runs, ranking second in the league.

Wilson, a former standout at Central Cabarrus High School and Louisburg Junior College, posted an 8-3 record with a league- best 2.52 ERA. He also led the SAC with 133 strikeouts in 107 innings and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year.

Gravley, a junior outfielder, was named to the first team All-Region squad. He started every game for the Eagles in 2004 and batted .357. He had 19 doubles, five triples and a team-high eight homeruns and 50 RBIs. Gravley had a slugging percentage of .590 and was 25-of-35 in stolen base attempts. He tied a South Atlantic Conference (SAC) record with three doubles in a game against Milligan. Gravley was named to the All-SAC team.

Gillis, a right-handed pitcher, was named to the second team All-Region team. He was the ace of the Eagles' squad in 2004 as she finished the season with an 8-2 record and 3.10 earned run average. Gillis pitched in 14 games, started 11 and had five complete games for C-N. In 78.1 innings on the mound, he had 78 strikeouts and 17 walks. He was named to the All-SAC team and was 5-1 against SAC teams. Gillis had a season-high 10 strikeouts in games against nationally-ranked Delta State and Catawba.

A first team All-South Atlantic Conference 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.

Wingate's 2004 baseball team MVP, Yount was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. He earned All-SAC honors two seasons. White, a 6-2, 190-lb center fielder/pitcher, once again led the Blue Hose offense this season. The All-SAC selection led PC hitters in at bats (193), hits (78), runs scored (58), doubles (17), triples (6), homeruns (11), RBI (53), and total bases (140). White hit .404 this season with 78 hits, 58 runs scored, 17 doubles, 6 triples, 11 homeruns, 53 RBI, 140 total bases, and 31 walks.

On the mound, White led the Presbyterian pitching staff with seven victories. He finished the year with an 4.15 ERA, throwing 73.2 innings while striking out 51 batters.

White finishes his career as one of the best players in Blue Hose baseball history. He ranks first in Blue Hose program history in batting average (.384), hits (321), runs scored (212), doubles (60), triples (13), homeruns (47), RBI (216), total bases (548), and slugging percentage (.656). White also ranks among the nation's best in NCAA Division II career statistics. He ranks 5th in career hits (321), 2nd in total bases (548), and tied for 15th in both runs scored (212) and RBI (216).

Along with earning first team all-region honors, White has earned several other honors this season including 2004 South Atlantic Conference Co-Player of the Year, First Team All-SAC (outfielder), Second Team All-SAC (pitcher). For his career, White is the program's first three-time ABCA All-Region selection and was named to the second team ABCA All-American Team in 2002.

Greer also earned first team All-South Atlantic Conference honors two years in a row. He made the first team as a DH in 2003 and as a first baseman in 2004. This year, Greer led the Wingate team in doubles (21), home runs (10), RBI (49), slugging percentage (.661) and on-base percentage (.475).

In three Wingate seasons, Greer had 36 career home runs. In his last two years in the Wingate blue-and-gold, Greer had 43 multiple-hit games and 27 multiple-RBI games. In 2003, Greer led Wingate in home runs (13) and RBI (52).

The seven First Team selections now go on the national ballot for the All-American team that will be announced later this month.

First Team
1B - Fred Popp (Florida Southern)
2B - Matt Baker (Catawba)
SS - David Yount (Wingate)
3B - Geoff Strickland (Florida Southern)
Utility - Toby Rice (Rollins)
C - Jason Cooper (Florida Gulf Coast)
DH - Jimbo Davis (Catawba)
OF - Nathan Gravley (Carson-Newman)
OF - Brandon Stancil (Tuskegee)
OF - Roberto Valiente (Tampa)
OF - Kevin White (Presbyterian)
P - Eduardo Chile (Rollins)
P - Steve Edsall (Rollins)
P - Joey Watts (Tampa)
P - Thomas Wilson (Catawba)
RP - Justin Boza (Tampa)

Second Team
1B - Sherman Greer (Wingate)
1B - Troy Nunnaly (Tuskegee)
2B - Ken Henderson (Tuskegee)
SS - Erick Monzon (Tampa)
3B - Starling Odoms (Paine)
Utility - Guy O'Connell (Tusculum)
C - Keaton Smith (Albany)
C - Steve Smith (Nova Southeastern)
DH - Brian Shuler (Paine)
OF - Aldrando Brewington (Benedict)
OF - Alex Froloff (Nova Southeastern)
OF - Matt Joyce (Florida Southern)
OF - Ricky Sanchez (Barry)
P - Eric Beattie (Tampa)
P - Gator Brooks (Rollins)
P - Chad Gillis (Carson-Newman)
P - Tyrell Moore (Albany State)
P - Donald Skanes (Paine)
RP - Gene Howard (Rollins)

Player of the Year: Matt Baker (Catawba)

Pitcher of the Year: Steve Edsall (Rollins)

Region Coach of the Year: Bob Rikeman (Rollins)