NEW YORK --- Tusculum College's Maikol Gonzalez has been selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 35th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft announced officials on Friday.

Gonzalez, a second baseman from Maraca Ibo, Venezuela, recently completed a stellar two-year playing career at Tusculum. He becomes the ninth player during the Coach Doug Jones' era to play professional baseball.

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.

He was also a consensus All-American for a second straight season being recognized in 2008 by the American Baseball Coaches' Association, D-II College Sports Information Directors of America (Daktronics) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2008.

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 records 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 national record book.

The Pioneers posted a 41-15 record and ended the season ranked 30th in the country, marking the fourth straight season Tusculum has finished the year nationally ranked. Tusculum closed out the season on a 17-4 run, including four in a row to win the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, earning TC its second straight trip to the NCAA II Tournament and fourth in the last six years.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn. and affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

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