Tusculum’s Gonzalez, Hammons Named To Daktronics All-America Baseball Team

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. --- Tusculum College's Maikol Gonzalez and Kevin Hammons have been named to the 2007 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America Baseball Team announced officials Thursday. Gonzalez was named to the First Team, while Hammons earned Second Team recognition.

The Tusculum duo becomes the sixth and seventh players in school history to earn All-America distinction and the fifth and sixth during the Coach Doug Jones' era. They join Chad Busch (1994, 1995, 1996), Ryan Baker (1998), Guy O'Connell (2003), Brent Gabel (2005) and Greg Stotser (2006) as the only TC player to garner All-America recognition on the diamond.

Gonzalez, a junior second baseman from Maracaibo, Venezuela, hit .444 for the Pioneers in 2007 which is currently the top batting average in the South Region and seventh best in the country.

Maikol Gonzalez

Kevin Hammons

He was also named the Daktronics South Region Player of the Year and the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year. Last week, he was also named to the ABCA/Rawlings Division II All-South Region Team. He leads the nation with 14 triples to go along with 65 runs batted in (34th in NCAA II) and 19 stolen bases. At last week's NCAA South Regional in Tampa, Fla., Gonzalez batted .429 with three RBI. For his efforts, he was named to the NCAA South Region All-Tournament Team.

Hammons, a senior lefthander from Jonesborough, Tenn., posted a 9-1 record with a 2.77 earned run average. Hammons was selected the Daktronics South Region Pitcher of the Year as well as being named SAC Pitcher of the Year. He struck out 80 batters and walked just 23 in 74.2 innings this year. Hammons was named SAC Pitcher of the Week once and was selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team.

Tusculum, ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division II, wrapped up its best season in school history as the Pioneers went 50-14 and finished third at last week's Regional. TC was making its third NCAA postseason appearance in five years and the 50 wins are the most in both school and conference history.

Fifty players representing 36 institutions were recognized on the inaugural Daktronics, Inc., NCAA Division II All-America Baseball Team.

Wingate University designated hitter Josh Benton was one of five players who garnered at least 33 percent of the votes and was named honorable mention.

Francis Marion's Dylan Owen and first baseman Erik Lovett from Mount Olive were named national Pitcher and Player of the Year respectively.

Owen pitched the Patriots to a 36-18 season and a third-place regular season finish in the Peachbelt Conference. Owen, a two-time PBC Pitcher of the Year, set a conference career record at 334 strikeouts.

Lovett led the Trojans to the finals of the South Atlantic Regional, hitting .422 with 21 homers and 78 RBI. Lovett, the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Player of the Year, carried the Trojans to the regular season and tournament titles in the CVAC.

2007 Daktronics All-America Baseball Team

First Team
First Base: Erik Lovette, Jr., Mount Olive (Goldsboro, N.C.)
Second Base: Maikol Gonzalez, Jr., Tusculum (Maracaibo, Venezuela)
Third Base: Casey Jirsa, Sr., Ashland (Tallmadge, Ohio)
Shortstop: Matt Bodenchuk, Jr., Mesa State (Boulder, Colo.)
Catcher: Ben Barrone, Sr., Winona State (Dover, Minn.)
Designated Hitter: Miguel Porchas, Sr., New Mexico Highlands (Somerton, Ariz.)
Utility: Matt Borman, Sr., SP/CF Concordia-St. Paul (Hopkins, Minn.)
Outfield: Josh Miller, Sr., West Virginia State (Cottageville, W.V.)
Outfield: Chance Beasley, Sr., Ouachita Baptist (Humble, Texas)
Outfield: Nicolas Boisvert, Sr., Lynn (Laval, Quebec, Canada)
Relief Pitcher Jameson Maj, Jr., Abilene Christian (Garfield, Wash.)
Starting Pitcher: Dylan Owen, Jr., Francis Marion (Chesterfield, S.C.)
Starting Pitcher: Jon Bjelland, Sr., Minnesota State-Mankato (Barron, Wis.)
Starting Pitcher: Justin Phillips, Sr., Harding (Waco, Texas)
Starting Pitcher: Brent Lysander, So., Sonoma State (San Diego, Calif.)

Second Team
First Base: Josh Paul, Sr., Central Missouri (Aurora, Colo.)
Second Base: Cody Lusero, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney (Omaha, Neb.)
Third Base: Jeff Carroll, Sr., Cal State-LA (Apple Valley, Calif.)
Shortstop: Brandon Halstead, Sr., West Virginia State (Charleston, W.V.)
Catcher: Breck Draper, Jr., Central Oklahoma (Shawnee, Okla.)
Designated Hitter: Bryce Columbus, Sr., Central Oklahoma (Shawnee, Okla.)
Utility: Dustin Richardson, Sr., LF/C Mount Olive (Henderson, N.C.)
Outfield: Dustin Jones, Sr., Wayne State (Neb.) (Dakota Dunes, S.D.)
Outfield: Mitch Walser, Sr., Upper Iowa (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Outfield: Chris Weimer, Jr., Nebraska-Omaha (Iowa City, Iowa)
Relief Pitcher: Paige Dumont, Sr., Sonoma State (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
Starting Pitcher: Nick Beach, Jr., Grand Valley State (Muskegon, Mich.)
Starting Pitcher: Kevin Hammonds, Sr., Tusculum (Jonesborough, Tenn.)
Starting Pitcher: Jason Mills, Sr., Kutztown (Hatfield, Pa.)
Starting Pitcher: Kevin Ferguson, Jr., Tampa (Port St. Lucie, Fla.)

Third Team
First Base: Matt Cantele, So., UC San Diego (Los Altos Hills, Calif.)
Second Base: Alez Castellanos, Fr., Belmont Abbey (Miami, Fla.)
Third Base: Craig Corrado, Sr., Tampa (Tampa, Fla.)
Shortstop: Steve Condotta, Sr., Florida Tech (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
Catcher: Michael Moras, Jr., New Haven (Orange, Conn.)
Designated Hitter: Seth Waller, Jr., Belmont Abbey (Salisbury, N.C.)
Utility: Mike McCardell, Sr., RP/IF, Kutztown (West Chester, Pa.)
Outfield: J.D. Pruitt, Sr., Montevallo (Skipperville, Ala.)
Outfield: David Anderson, Sr., New Haven (Plainfield, N.J.)
Outfield: Justin Mills, Sr., Georgia College & State (Ivy, Ga.)
Relief Pitcher: Jonathan Holt, Jr., Tampa (Leesburg, Fla.)
Starting Pitcher: Brett Durand, Jr., Delta State (Denham Springs, La.)
Starting Pitcher: Keith Barrett, Sr., Ouachita Baptist (Bristow, Okla.)
Starting Pitcher: Brett Armour, Sr., Mesa State (Fruita, Colo.)
Starting Pitcher: Tim Cloyd, So., Nebraska-Omaha (Bellevue, Neb.)

Honorable Mention
First Base: Frank Quintana, Felician
Designated Hitter: Josh Benton, Wingate
Utility: Clay Calfee, Angelo State
Outfield: David Lough, Mercyhurst
Relief Pitcher: Nick Fellman, Minnesota State-Mankato