INDIANAPOLIS --- The Tusculum College baseball team continues to be listed amongst the national leaders in this week's NCAA Division II statistics. The Pioneers (36-16) are ranked in nine team categories, while six Tusculum players are listed, individually.

Tusculum's pitching staff continues to shine as the Pioneers are ranked eighth in team earned run average (3.36) and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings pitched (2.64). Offensively, the Pioneers are 10th nationally in sacrifice flies (29), 14th in triples (19), 30th in stolen bases (87), 36th in home runs (50) and 43rd in hits (539). Tusculum is also 16th in double plays turned (45) and 39th in won-loss percentage (.692).

Junior outfielder Jared Richmond (Ft. Smith, Ark.) is sixth in the country with his six triples. Junior outfield Nate Grabowski (Pennellville, N.Y.) is 30th in walks (34), while junior catcher Sean Cotten (Mooresville, N.C.) is fifth in sacrifice flies. Cotten's seven sacrifice flies are tied for the second-most in a Tusculum season and two off the record nine set by two-time All-American Maikol Gonzalez in 2007.

C.J. Hillyer, the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year, is listed in three statistical categories. The Abington, Mass. senior is 47th in ERA (2.55), 48th in walks allowed per nine innings pitched (1.62) and tied for 50th in wins (7). Senior teammate Max Keleher (Port Charlotte, Fla.) is also tied for 50th in pitching victories with seven. Keleher has pitched back-to-back shut outs in his last two starts, including last Friday's 4-0 win over Wingate in the SAC Tournament. For his efforts, he was named to the SAC All-Tournament Team.

Senior relief pitcher Rob Currie (St. Charles, Ill.) is 39th in the land, posting six saves this season, which is tied for fourth most in school history.

Tusculum captured its fourth SAC Championship in the last five years this season and has already clinched its fifth straight campaign with at least 35 victories and seventh in a row with 30 or more wins. The Pioneers will learn their NCAA postseason fate on May 10th with the release of the DII Tournament field.

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