Tuesday, May 25, 2010

MACON, Ga. – FGCU’s ace Chris Sale and ETSU’s slugging Paul Hoilman entered the 2010 baseball season replete with hype and expectations. Each turned in dominating seasons en route to earning Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday.

Sale unanimously captured the Pitcher of the Year award after leading all three of the pitching Triple Crown categories - an unblemished 10-0 record, a 1.97 ERA and a nation’s best 135 strikeouts. His strikeout total already ranks among the 10 best in A-Sun history and as the most in the league since Justin Pope of UCF sat down 158 in 2001. The junior joins former teammate Richard Bleier as the second Eagle in their three seasons in the league to garner the Pitcher of the Year honor.

Hoilman narrowly lost out leading all three offensive Triple Crown categories. He paced the conference in average, .428, and home runs, 24, while taking second in RBI (77) to Mercer’s Jacob Tanis, who doubles as the nation’s top run producer. All three numbers rank among the 10 best single seasons in A-Sun history. He enters the A-Sun Championship leading in runs and hits and leading the nation in slugging percentage and total bases.

Three teammates of Sale joined the left-handed ace on the All-Atlantic Sun First Team. Pete Woodworth, owner of eight victories, accompanies Sale among the First Team starting pitchers. The double-play tandem of second baseman Mikel Alvarez and shortstop Stephen Wickens round out FGCU’s First-Team honorees. The Eagles’ placed a third starter, Richie Erath on the Second Team and Zach Maxfield backs up Hoilman as the Second Team choice at first base. FGCU head coach Dave Tollett, who guided the Eagles to a third straight regular season title, won his third Coach of the Year award.

For the first time in their five-year association with the Atlantic Sun, ETSU placed a pair on the First Team. In addition to Hoilman, catcher Derek Trent earned First Team honors after hitting .358 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI. Third baseman Bo Reeder made the Second Team. His 19 home runs rank fifth in the conference.

Only one additional team, Belmont placed multiple players on the First Team. Closer Jon Ivie led the conference with 10 saves to claim the relief pitcher spot and Nate Woods (second in home runs and RBI) took the designated hitter spot. Dylan Craig, the 2009 Freshman of the Year, earned Second Team honors this season.

Jacksonville’s Dan Gulbransen follows Craig as the conference’s top freshman. The Dolphin outfielder enters the A-Sun Championship sporting a .401 average, good for third in the conference. His .506 on-base percentage also ranks third. His freshman teammate, Adam Brett Walker, landed on the Second Team after leading the defending champions in home runs (15) and RBI (55). Starting pitcher Matt Tomshaw, reliever Chris Kaminski and shortstop Jamaal Hawkins also made the Second Team.

Mercer’ Tanis, who tops the country in RBI with 83, claimed the First Team spot at third base. His RBI total ranks as the fourth-best in A-Sun history and as the most since Stetson’s Frank Corr set the league standard with 98 in 2000. Lipscomb’s Josh Smith paired up with the duo from FGCU as a First Team starting pitcher. His 124 strikeouts trail only Sale and rank inside the top five in the country. Outfielders Preston Hale from UNF and Sean Emory of Stetson round out the First Team. Hale, who in addition to ranking in the top 10 in six offensive categories, earned CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors on Tuesday, as did Hoilman. Emory hit .452 in league play while posting a .508 on-base percentage, good for second in the conference.

The 2010 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship begins Wednesday from Lipscomb’s Ken Dugan Field. The event opens with FGCU and Stetson taking the field at 11:00 a.m. CT followed by Mercer opening with defending champion Jacksonville at 3:00 p.m. CT. ETSU tangles with UNF at 7:00 p.m. CT. All the action will be broadcast, free of charge, on ASun.TV

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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.