Monday, May 10, 2010

MACON, Ga. – The College Baseball Foundation release a revised National Pitcher of the Year watch with FGCU’s Chris Sale among the Top 25. The CBF also named a narrowed field for Brooke Wallace Shortstop of the Year award, including the Eagles’ Steven Wickens. 

Sale leads the Atlantic Sun in ERA with a 1.98 mark while also boasting an 8-0 record. The junior lefthander also leads the A-Sun in strikeouts with 114 and ranks second in innings pitched with 82.0. A three-time Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week, Sale rates in the national top 25 in ERA, strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings, walks allowed pre nine innings and victories.

Sale’s current ERA ranks as the 14th-best single season average in conference history. The Lakeland, Fla. native’s 1.98 mark also sits as the best ERA by an league pitcher since Mickey Storey earned a 1.70 average in 2005. Storey tossed FAU’s last no-hitter on March 31, 2006 and earned National Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors in ’05. Sale’s career 2.55 ERA ranks seven-best in conference history.

The Pitcher of the Year Award will be presented in Lubbock, Texas on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.   

Wickens ranks second on the Eagles in batting average with a .380 mark while also holding 15 stolen bases and 51 scored runs. The senior ranks third in the conference in hit with 79 and holds a .960 fielding percentage on the season. 

The Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock, Texas as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.

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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.