INDIANAPOLIS --- Tusculum College's Jared Richmond is fifth in the nation in home runs according to this week's NCAA Division II baseball statistics announced College officials.
Four Pioneers are listed in the top 50 in several statistical categories, while Tusculum is ranked in nine team categories.
Richmond, a senior first baseman/outfielder from Fort Smith, Ark., is listed six times, including his 15 home runs, which are second in the South Atlantic Conference and tied for third most in a Tusculum single-season. He has belted 26 homers in his two years at Tusculum, which are tied for third most in school history and four shy of the TC record 30 hit by Shane Banks (1997-99, 2001).
Richmond is also listed 31st in runs scored (41), 50th in hits (49), 15th in RBI (45), 20th in slugging percentage (.857) and 16th in total bases (102). Richmond has hit safely in 30 of his 31 games this season and is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak.
Senior outfielder Nate Grabowski (Pennellville, N.Y.) leads the team with 13 doubles and three triples, which are ranked 43rd and 28th in the country, respectively. Grabowski is also 48th in hits (50) and is batting .394 this season with four home runs and 18 RBI to go along with his team-leading nine stolen bases. He has hit safely in his last nine games.
Senior designated hitter Sean Fincuane (Cortland, N.Y.) is currently sixth in the nation in toughest to strikeout. Fincuane has struck out three times in his 128 plate appearances. He is striking out only once per every 42.67 plate appearances this year. Fincuane is batting .386 with seven doubles, a triple and three runs.
Junior catcher Sean Cotten (Mooresville, N.C.) is 48th in NCAA II in hits (50) and 15th in RBI (45). Cotten is batting .394 with nine doubles and seven homers as has hit safely in his last 12 games.
As a team, Tusculum is listed 16th in hits (397), 19th in home runs (40), 16th in bases on balls (154), 25th in runs scored (297), 29th in batting average (.341), 32nd in double plays turned (30) and 37th in slugging percentage (.519).
The Pioneers (20-13, 7-8 SAC) have won their last six games and 11 of their last 12. Tusculum will host Newberry College this weekend for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series, beginning with Friday's single-game at 7 p.m. at Pioneer Park.
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