MIAMI SHORES, Fla. --- Tusculum College's
Maikol Gonzalez and Christian
Rosa have been named to the 2008 Daktronics Division II
Baseball All-America Team announced officials Wednesday. Gonzalez
earned First Team All-America honors, while Rosa was selected to
the Second Team.
Gonzalez, a senior second baseman from Maraca Ibo, Venezuela,
earns Daktronics All-America First Team accolades for a second
straight year. Earlier this week, the two-time All-American was
also named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings
All-America squad.
Rosa earns his first All-America honor of 2008 and joins Gonzalez
and former three-time All-American Chad Busch to
earn national accolades in multiple seasons. Rosa was named to the
2007 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America
team, earning honorable mention recognition.
Gonzalez established a new school record by hitting .468 this
year, surpassing the previous best by Julio Velazquez in the 1994
campaign (.467). Gonzalez also broke the TC and South Atlantic
Conference single-season record with his 103 hits this year. For
his efforts, he was named the Daktronics South Region Player of the
Year for a second straight season. The two-time All-SAC First Team
honoree accounted for 21 doubles, seven triples, five home runs and
a team-best 58 RBI. His 30 stolen bases in 2008 were also a new
school record.
During his two-year career, Gonzalez established new TC record for
batting average (.457), triples (21) and on-base percentage (.522).
His batting average is currently ninth all-time in NCAA II history,
while his triples tally is tied for 12th in the record book.
Earlier this month, he was named to the All-South Region teams by
Daktronics, ABCA and NCBWA.
Rosa, a senior utility player from Toa Boa, Puerto Rico, split
time at catcher and in the outfield. He finished third on the team
hitting .390 with 15 doubles, seven triples and a team-best 12 home
runs, including a solo shot in his final collegiate at-bat. Rosa's
dozen homers are tied for the fourth most in school history. His 21
career round-trippers are tied for fifth all-time in the TC record
book. He was named to the All-Region First Team by Daktronics and
the ABCA.
The Pioneers posted a 41-15 record in 2008 and are currently
ranked 30th in the nation. Tusculum advanced to the NCAA Tournament
for a second straight year and the fourth time in the last six
seasons. The Pioneers earned their way into the national postseason
by winning the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament.
In all, 67 student-athletes, representing 46 institutions were
named to the team selected by members of the D-II College Sports
Information Directors of America.
- TC -