Date Posted: 5/22/2006

MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville’s Matt Dobbins and Campbell’s Mike Priest claimed the final weekly awards of the 2006 baseball season as the pair led their teams to big series victories in the final weekend of competition.

Dobbins continued his dominance on the mound in 2006 by increasing his NCAA leading record to 12-0 with a one-hit complete game victory over Lipscomb. With the win, the Dolphins clinched their first Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title and the southpaw moved into a tie for 10th on the A-Sun’s single season wins list. Against the Bisons, Dobbins allowed only one run and one hit with two walks and three strikeouts while also hurling a perfect game through five innings. It marked the second consecutive complete game and the fourth consecutive win for Dobbins.

A position player last season, the Longwood, Fla., native has emerged as the ace of the Dolphins' staff and the first player to win 10 games since Dennis Robinson in 2004. After earning a no-decision against Georgia Southern on Feb. 7, the sophomore won eight consecutive games before having his streak snapped with a no-decision against North Florida on April 7. Dobbins is second in the A-Sun with 110.1 innings pitched and fourth in the conference with a 2.61 ERA. Along with his success on the field, he recently earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team honors after finishing with a 3.74 grade point average.

Priest hit .533 (8-for-15) for the week, with five RBIs and seven runs scored as he helped lead Campbell into the Atlantic Sun Tournament Presented by Progress Energy. The eight hits also put him at 89 for the season, the most in the league, equaling the school record for hits in a season. In the opening game against Kennesaw State (the game that clinched Campbell's playoff spot), the senior equaled his career high with three runs scored. He finished the regular season leading the league with 61 runs this season. He was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a home run and drove in three of Campbell's eight runs in the game. It was his sixth consecutive multiple hit game and helped extend his current eight-game hitting streak.

The Vernon Hill, Va., native finished with a hit in each of the last two games, to finish the season leading the Atlantic Sun with a .405 batting average. The senior first baseman is the only player in the Atlantic Sun batting over .400 during the regular season. Against No. 29-ranked Elon, Priest logged three hits including a towering home run to right center field that pulled the Camels to within 7-4. Priest has 32 extra base hits this season, and is just four extra base hits away from becoming the all-time leader in school history. Priest added 15 total bases over the weekend to pass Wilson Tucker for the Atlantic Sun lead. His 150 total bases this season ranks among the highest in a season for a Campbell player. Priest is just three total bases shy of 400 for his career, which would be a new school record, in just three seasons for the Camels.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week awards weekly during the 2006 baseball campaign. The 11-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Florida Atlantic, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, North Florida and Stetson.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS

• Mickey Storey, Florida Atlantic (So. – RHP – Deerfield Beach, Fla. – Undecided Major)
Fanned 10 batters in complete game win versus ETSU

• Joe Waldecker, Campbell (Sr. – RHP – Columbia Station, Ohio – Business Major)
Struck out four in 1.2 innings to earn save in win that clichéd postseason berth

• Mike McKenna, FAU (So. – DH – Delray Beach, Fla. – Undecided Major)
Hit .556 in leading FAU to a sweep of ETSU

• Derek Wiley, Belmont (Fr. – IF – Dublin, Calif. – Undeclared Major)
Batted .500 with 3 HR’s and 7 RBI

• Thomas LePage, Jacksonville (Jr. – 3B – Jacksonville, Fla. – Business Major)
Drove in six runs as JU swept Lipscomb for league title

• Shawn Barrett, Mercer (Sr. – 1B – Scottsburg, Ind. – Education Major)
Hit .545 as Mercer clinched No. 2 seed with series win over Belmont

• Matt Dallas, Kennesaw State (Jr. – 3B – Conyers, Ga. – Psychology Major) Drove in game winning run in ninth to lead KSU to win in season finale

Related Links:
 • A-Sun Championship presented by Progress Energy