Presbyterian’s Bell, Wingate’s Yount Named to CoSIDA’s Baseball All-District Academic First Team

CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College's Curtis Bell and Wingate University's David Yount have been named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District III College Division Baseball First Team announced today. The 11 first team selections move on to the national ballot for 2004 Academic All-America® honors.

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 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 seven 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.

Wingate University senior shortstop David Yount (Forest City, N.C.) has been named to the 2004 Academic All-District III Baseball first team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).

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 3.59 GPA in his sport management major.

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.

At Wingate's athletic awards ceremony on April 26, Yount won the Arthur Joseph "Pepper" Geddings, Jr. Athletic Leadership Award. The Geddings award stands for everything that is right about college athletics: 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 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.

Student-athletes selected for Academic All-District honors must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials. He must possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale). He must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed at least one full academic year at his institution. District III (college division) includes all non-NCAA Division I schools (Division II, III and NAIA) in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina.