AIKEN, S.C. -- The Peach Belt Conference announced the 2008
baseball All-Conference team at a banquet in Aiken, S.C., site of
the 2008 PBC Tournament. USC Aiken’s Chad Jacobsen was named
the PBC Player of the Year while Columbus State’s Korey Noles
was tabbed the Pitcher of the Year. Francis Marion’s Preston
Shuey was named the Freshman of the Year and Columbus State head
coach Greg Appleton the Coach of the Year.
Jacobsen broke eight single-season school records at USC Aiken in
2008. The senior first baseman from Littleton, Colo., led the Peach
Belt in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage,
runs, hits, walks, total bases and sacrifice flies. He set a school
record and was second in the PBC with 20 home runs. His 75 RBIs and
101 were also school records. Jacobsen becomes the third Pacer to
receive Player of the Year honors, the first since Ashley Farr in
2003.
Korey Noles finished the 2008 regular season 11-0 with a 1.54 ERA,
both league-bests. The senior from LaGrange, Ga., set a school
single-season record with 11 straight wins and has won 16 straight
dating back to last season. He also leads the league with 105
innings pitched and was second with 110 strikeouts, which is also
third-best nationally. Noles is now the third Columbus State hurler
to earn Pitcher of the Year honors, the first since Tony Pierce in
1999.
Meanwhile, Preston Shuey becomes the third Patriot in the last
four years to earn the PBC Freshman of the Year award, joining
Dylan Owen in 2005 (co-Freshman of the Year) and Taylor Norfleet in
2006. Shuey led the Patriots in RBIs with 51 which is also tied for
ninth in the PBC. The true freshman first baseman from Charlotte,
N.C., had 22 multi-hit games in 2008 and 14 multi-RBI contests. He
hit. 355 for the season with seven home runs and 13 doubles, his
batting average jumpred to .394 against conference opponents.
Greg Appleton receives his first PBC Coach of the Year award in
his 11th season at the helm of the Cougars. In 2008, Appleton
guided his team to their first PBC Regular Season Championship
since 1996 and the #1 seed for the PBC Tournament. The Cougars are
currently ranked #8 in the nation in the latest Collegiate Baseball
poll after finishing the regular season 39-15 and 19-8 in
conference play. Appleton won the 2002 National Championship at CSU
and returned to the national finals in 2007. His team also won the
2006 PBC Tournament and will likely return to the NCAA Regionals
for the third straight year.
The 2008 All-Conference team is listed on the following page. The
20-player team was selected by position by the league’s 10
head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own
players.
2008 Peach Belt
Conference
Baseball All-Conference Team
Infielders
1b - Chad Jacobsen, USC Aiken
2b - Brandon Masters, Columbus State
3b - Rodney Rutherford, Columbus State
SS - Jason Morales, UNC Pembroke
UT - Rob Flanigan, North Georgia
UT - Ken Raborn, USC Aiken
Outfielders
Craig Brisson, North Georgia
Jonnie Geiger, Columbus State
Justin Greene, Francis Marion
Shannon Wilkerson, Augusta State
Josh Wilson, Armstrong Atlantic State
Catchers
Jared Barkdoll, Francis Marion
C.J. Bressoud, Columbus State
Designated
Hitter
Richard Pirkle, GCSU
Starting Pitchers
Chris Curtis, North Georgia
Danny Davidson, Columbus State
Korey Noles, Columbus State
Peden Rucker, USC Aiken
Scott Wandless, USC Aiken
Relief
Pitcher
Ryan Kirkman, UNC Pembroke
Pitcher of the Year
Korey Noles, Columbus State
Player of the Year
Chad Jacobsen, USC Aiken
Freshman of the Year
Preston Shuey, Francis Marion
Coach of the Year
Greg Appleton, Columbus State
Baseball
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