INDIANAPOLIS --- Tusculum College second baseman
Maikol Gonzalez is the 2008 NCAA Division II
national statistical champion for batting average according to the
final baseball statistics.
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Gonzalez, a native of Maraca Ibo, Venezuela, batted a school and
South Atlantic Conference record .468 this season, which was
.0004399 percentage points better than second place Jamie
Nilsen of Central Washington.
The Pioneers also claimed national statistical championship honors
for triples in a season as Tusculum accounted for 34 this season,
four ahead of second place Central Oklahoma and Indiana (Pa.), who
amassed 30 triples each.
This marks the second straight year Gonzalez and the Pioneers have
earned national champion honors for statistics. In 2007, Gonzalez
and Tusculum led the nation in triples per game.
TC finished second in the country in triples per game this season,
averaging 0.61 per outing. Tusculum also finished 2008 nationally
in: seventh in sacrifice flies (37), 10th in earned run average
(3.40), 13th in hits allowed per nine innings pitched (8.73), 16th
in won-lost percentage (.732), 27th in walks (239), 28th in stolen
bases (97), 36th in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (7.5), 37th
in runs scored (436), 39th in stolen bases per game (1.73), 42nd in
scoring (7.8 rpg) and 42nd in hits (606).
The Pioneers were also listed in several individual categories
including: Gonzalez who was first in batting average, sixth in hits
(103), 12th in triples (7), 16th in on-base percentage (.527), 20th
in stolen bases (30), 27th in stolen bases per game (0.54), 29th in
total bases (153), 29th in doubles (21), 29th in triples per game
(0.13), 37th in runs per game (1.23) and 33rd in runs scored (69).
The 2008 consensus All-American established a new TC and SAC
single-season record with his 103 hits, while also breaking the
school mark with 30 stolen bases.
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Two-time All-American catcher Christian Rosa (Toa
Boa, Puerto Rico) is also mentioned in several categories
including: 12th in runs per game (1.35), 12th in triples (7), 18th
in runs scored (73 - TC record), 26th in triples per game (0.13),
45th in slugging percentage (.715) and 50th in on-base percentage
(.502).
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Carlos Rivera (Leesburg, Va.), a 2007 All-America
outfielder, finished ranked in the following: 12th in triples (7),
27th in triples per game (0.13), 29th in runs per game (1.25 rpg),
33rd in runs scored (69), 40th in sacrifice flies (6), 41st in hits
(89) and 49th in toughest to strike out (16.2).
Tusculum junior pitcher Boo Morrow (Lexington,
Ky.) wrapped up his All-America campaign with a 2.00 earned run
average, which was 19th best in the nation.
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Gonzalez, who was named the Daktronics Division II South Region
Player of the Year for a second straight time, was selected in the
35th round by the Colorado Rockies last week in the 2008 Major
League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
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