SAVANNAH, Ga. --- Three Tusculum College players have been named to the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II All-Southeast Region Team. C.J. Hillyer and Rob Currie were named to the All-Region First Team, while Nate Grabowski garnered Second Team recognition.

Hillyer, a 6-3, 245-pound left-handed pitcher from Abington, Mass., earns his third All-Region honor this year and fourth in his Tusculum career. He was tabbed to the Daktronics and American Baseball Coaches Association All-Southeast Region First Teams last month. The 2009 South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year led the Pioneers with his 7-3 record and a 2.89 earned run average, which is the ninth lowest in school history. He made 15 appearances this season, including 14 starts, which are tied for third most in Tusculum history. The two-time All-SAC standout tossed 79.1 innings where he walked 15 to go along with 55 strikeouts.

Currie, a 6-6, 240-pound senior relief pitcher from St. Charles, Ill., was the ace of the Tusculum bull pen. Currie, who was selected as the 2009 All-SAC First Team relief pitcher, made 21 appearances where he posted a 5-1 record with a 1.21 ERA to go along with six saves. The six saves are the fourth-most ever by a Pioneer reliever. Currie limited the opposition to a .213 batting average, while striking out at team-best 57 with only 20 walks in his 52 innings of work. He has already earned Daktronics All-Region Second Team honors as well as the ABCA.

Grabowski, a 5-10, 190-pound outfielder, led Tusculum with his .406 batting average. The Pennellville, N.Y. junior led the squad in runs scored (51), hits (73), doubles (16), walks (34) and on-base percentage (.505). The 2009 All-SAC First Team choice went 11-for-19 (.579) at last month's SAC Tournament, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Grabowski's walk tally is the eighth best in TC history while his on-base percentage is currently the seventh highest ever by a Pioneer. He also tallied seven home runs and a pair of triples. Like Hillyer and Currie, Grabowski was also honored by Daktronics and the ABCA.

Tusculum captured its fourth South Atlantic Conference title in the last five years, while posting a 36-18 record. The Pioneers also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, TC's third straight postseason appearance and fifth in the last seven years. Tusculum's five NCAA Tournament showings are the most in conference history.

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