Monday, January 11, 2010

MACON, Ga. - FGCU’s Chris Sale and ETSU’s Paul Hoilman picked up second team Ping!Baseball Preseason All American honors while the Eagles’ Zach Maxfield earned third team honors and Campbell’s Zach Johnson picked an honorable mention.

Sale enters the 2010 season with a 9-4 career record with three saves and a 2.94 ERA in 35 appearances. The Eagles’ junior lefthander adds the honor from Ping! to his second-team Preseason All-American honor from Louisville Slugger. He posted a 2.72 ERA a season ago ranking him second in the Atlantic Sun. Sale ranked 26th in the nation in ERA and 26th in strikeouts in 2009. Sale earned Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year honors over the summer and Baseball American named Sale the top prospect in the Cape Cod League. He also earned First-Team All-Atlantic Sun honors in 2009. The Lakeland, Fla. native also picked up A-Sun player of the week on Mar. 30 after a 12 strikeout performance against Belmont.

Maxfield adds the honor from Ping! to his third-team All-American from Louisville Slugger. He posted a .383 batting average ranking seventh in the Atlantic Sun and his slugging percentage of .738 placed second in the conference and 32nd in the nation. The junior also belted 20 home runs to place in the top 25 both in home runs and in home runs per game. 

Hoilman pounded out a .380 batting average a season ago and slugged 17 home runs and adds the honor to his third-team Preseason All-American Louisville Slugger. The junior enters the season as the active leader in the Atlantic Sun in home runs with 26. Hoilman finished 2009 tying for second in the conference a season ago in RBI (66).

Johnson ranked fifth on the Camels a season ago in batting average, hitting .380. Johnson led the nation in doubles with 29 and second in the nation in the doubles per game behind teammate Ryan Hamme. Johnson finished second on the Camels a season ago with 62 RBIs.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.