Four SAC players named to 2011 NCCSIA all-state baseball team

HICKORY, N.C. - The South Atlantic Conference showed its credentials as the 2011 NCCSIA All-State Baseball team was released. The SAC had four players named to the All-State team: Catawba College sophomore pitcher Nick Lomascolo, Lenoir-Rhyne University senior catcher Brian Dice, Mars Hill College senior infielder Michael Bueker and Wingate University junior outfielder Dodson McPherson.

Catawba's Lomascolo was awarded a starting pitcher spot on the All-State team after a season in which he recorded a league-high nine wins and posted a 2.78 ERA. He pitched in 103 2/3 innings and allowed only 72 hits, while fanning 88. The SAC Pitcher of the Year, Lomascolo was also named to the All-Region second team by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Lenoir Rhyne's Dice was given the catcher position on the All-State team for the second year in a row. Dice had a solid season for Lenoir Rhyne, as he led the Bears in runs scored (41), RBI (36) and slugging percentage (.497) en route to All-South Atlantic Conference second team honors. Dice batted .321 this spring to go along with six home runs. He started all 47 contests for the Bears.

Mars Hill's Bueker was awarded one of the five infielder spots after leading the league in batting average (.414) and setting a school single-season record for hits with 87. He was also a first team All-SAC honoree in 2011.

Wingate's McPherson was awarded one of the three outfielder positions after a season in which he finished ranked in the top ten nationally in six different categories. He was second in RBIs with 78, fourth in total bases with 167, fifth in hits with 92, fifth in homers with 17, eighth in runs with 65 and ninth in slugging percentage with a .726.

McPherson was also named the Southeast Region and SAC Player of the Year, first team All-Region and received first team All-American honors from the ABCA and the NCBWA, while receiving All-American second team honors from Daktronics.

Founded in 2002, NCCSIA is comprised of sports information professionals from North Carolina's NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions for the purpose of promoting college athletics in the state. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina whose responsibilities include sports information.

(Wingate University student intern Robert Cook contributed this article. A rising senior from Bradford, England, Cook is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor.)

2011 NCCSIA All-State Baseball
College Division Team
SP - Carter Capps, Mount Olive, Sophomore, Kinston, N.C. @
SP - Nick Lomascolo, Catawba, Sophomore, Mooresville, N.C.
RP - Braxton Lewis, UNC Pembroke, Junior, Seven Springs, N.C.
DH - Michael Knox, Mount Olive, Junior, Cary, N.C.
C - Brian Dice, Lenoir-Rhyne, Senior, Hickory, N.C. @
INF - Michael Bueker, Mars Hill, Senior, Cooper City, Fla.
INF - Chris Dula, Catawba, Freshman, Troutman, N.C.
INF - Rashaad Ingram, St. Augustine's, Senior, Savannah, Ga.
INF - Jacob Rogers, Mount Olive, Junior, Clearwater, Fla.
INF - Kyle Wooden, Guilford, Senior, Monroe, N.C.
OF - Josh Haley, UNC Pembroke, Junior, Pinehurst, N.C.
OF - Dodson McPherson, Wingate, Junior, Graham, N.C.
OF - Jason Simone, Mount Olive, Senior, Utica, N.Y.

@ = 2010 All-State Selection