AUGUSTA, GA. -- The Peach Belt Conference released the 2009
All-Conference team on the eve of the PBC Tournament. Augusta
State’s Shannon Wilkerson was named the Player of the Year
while UNC Pembroke’s Matt McGovern the Pitcher of the Year.
USC Aiken’s Stephen Carmon is the Freshman of the Year while
his head coach, Kenny Thomas, was named the Coach of the Year. In
all, 32 players were named to the newly expanded All-Conference
Team.
Wilkerson led the PBC in home runs with 21 this year, which is tied
for the fourth-highest total in a single season in PBC history. A
junior from Dacula, Ga., Wilkerson hit .434 for the Jaguars,
second-best in the PBC, and led the league in runs scored, slugging
percentage, hits, triples and total bases. His 78 RBIs were second
in the league and he was tied for eighth in doubles. Wilkerson
becomes only the second Jaguar ever to win the Player of the Year
award, joining Chris Hodge who won it in 1993.
Matt McGovern was 8-0 on the mound for UNC Pembroke in 2009,
including a 6-0 mark against conference opponents. The junior from
Ottowa, Canada, is ranked thid in the PBC with his 2.60 ERA in 69.1
innings pitched. He tossed two complete games this season, one of
which was a shutout, while holding opponents to a .246 batting
average and striking out 54. McGovern was 3-0 against
nationally-ranked opponents and pitched seven or more innings in
seven of his 11 appearances. He becomes the first UNCP baseball
player to ever be named the PBC Pitcher of the Year.
Stephen Carmon made 38 starts and appeared in 44 games at shortstop
for USC Aiken in 2009. A true freshman from Camden, S.C., Carmon
hit .366 with three home runs and 39 RBIs while slugging .507. He
was twice named the PBC Freshman of the Week and was tied for
fourth on the team with 10 doubles and 11 stolen bases. He becomes
the first Pacer to ever be named the Freshman of the Year.
Kenny Thomas led USC Aiken to their first PBC regular-season
Championship since 1994 and earns his first Coach of the Year
honor. In his ninth season at the school, Thomas led USCA to the
championship game of the 2008 NCAA South Atlantic Regional before
claiming the PBC title in 2009. The Pacers are 39-16 and ranked #2
in the nation in the latest Collegiate Baseball poll. Thomas
becomes the first USC Aiken baseball coach to win the Coach of the
Year accolade since Gary Gilmore in 1993.
The 2009 baseball All-Conference team is listed below. The team was
selected by the league’s 10 head coaches, who were not
permitted to vote for their own players.
2009 Baseball All-Conference
Team
First Team
1b - Ken Raborn, USC Aiken
2b - Jason Coker, UNC Pembroke
3b - Andre Airich, North Georgia
SS - Barret Kleinknecht, Francis Marion
C - Jared Barkdoll, Francis Marion
OF - Kevin Dietrich, UNC Pembroke
OF - Cody McMorris, USC Aiken
OF - Shannon Wilkerson, Augusta State
OF - Alex Wyche, Armstrong Atlantic State
DH - Travis Howard, USC Aiken
UT - Seth Kivett, UNC Pembroke
SP - Jarrett Coker, Columbus State
SP - Matt McGovern, UNC Pembroke
SP - Cody Walden, Armstrong Atlantic State
SP - David Walters, Francis Marion
RP - Martin Dewald, GCSU
Second Team
1b - Kenny Cail, Armstrong Atlantic State
2b - Brooks Robinson, GCSU
3b - Keon Graves, Francis Marion
SS - Chandler Snell, GCSU
C - Brian Gordon, Columbus State
OF - Sean Harrell, GCSU
OF - Bud Lanier, Lander
OF - Alex Montes, Columbus State
OF - Tim Rawlings, Augusta State
DH - Jacob Wallace, Francis Marion
UT - Brad Hall, North Georgia
SP - Thomas Gray, Armstrong Atlantic State
SP - Phillip Robinson, Columbus State
SP - Steven Spire, USC Aiken
SP - Zack Whitman, Georgia Southwestern
RP - Brandon Forshee, Francis Marion
Player of the Year
Shannon Wilkerson, Augusta State
Pitcher of the Year
Matt McGovern, UNC Pembroke
Freshman of the Year
Stephen Carmon, USC Aiken
Coach of the Year
Kenny Thomas, USC Aiken
Baseball
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