Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Campbell’s Mike Priest was selected to the American all-star team for the seventh annual Coastal Plain League All-Star Game. Priest, a senior from Vernon Hills, Va., who plays with the Gastonia Grizzlies, will participate in the event to be held Tuesday, July 19 at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, N.C.

With two games to go until the all-star break, Priest has started 31 games for the Grizzlies team that is 5-0 in the second half of the CPL season (16-17 overall). Priest leads the league in doubles (13), is tied for second in RBI (19) and is fourth in total bases (51) and slugging (.447), while hitting .289.

As a junior at Campbell, Priest was named to the ESPN The Magazine/Academic All-America® University Division second-team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He was also named to the All-Atlantic Sun Conference first team and North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State team.

Last season Priest led the A-Sun in slugging percentage (.687), set a Campbell Division I era (since 1978) record to finish third in doubles (22), third in total bases (145), third in homeruns (14), seventh in on base percentage (.443) and 10th in hits (77).

The Coastal Plain League is a summer collegiate baseball league, now in its ninth season, featuring 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL is certified by Major League Baseball, and uses wooden bats. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.