ELLENBURG, Wash. --- Tusculum College's
Maikol Gonzalez and Boo Morrow
have been named to the 2008 National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association's Division II All-America Team announced officials
Wednesday. Gonzalez was named as the First Team second baseman,
while Morrow garnered honorable mention accolades as a starting
pitcher.
Gonzalez, a senior from Maraca Ibo, Venezuela, earns his third
All-American honor this season and returns to the NCBWA First Team
for a second consecutive year.
Morrow, a junior right-hander from Lexington, Ky., becomes the
12th Pioneer in school history to earn All-America recognition. The
11th player was his older brother Dustin, who was named to the
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Baseball Team
earlier this week.
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. In
2008 alone, he has earned All-America standing by the NCBWA, the
American Baseball Coaches Association and the D-II College Sports
Information Directors of America (Daktronics).
Morrow emerged as the ace to the Tusculum rotation in 2008. The
Daktronics, ABCA and NCBWA All-Region First Team selection, posted
a 7-0 record with a 2.00 earned run average. Morrow recorded 61
strikeouts and 20 walks in his 76.2 innings. The All-SAC First Team
honoree has yet to suffer a loss in his career (11-0) and was also
named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV
Second Team.
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.
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