Several Current Big Leaguers Highlight Team

RICHMOND, Va. - The Colonial Athletic Association has announced its Silver Anniversary team for baseball, which features 10 former CAA Players of the Year, 17 All-Americans and 11 former or current Major League Baseball players.

As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration in 2009-10, the CAA is recognizing Silver Anniversary teams in 21 championship sports. The teams were selected by a panel of current and former coaches in the conference.

Baseball has been a championship sport in the CAA since the league’s inception in 1986 and nine different schools have earned titles. East Carolina won seven CAA championships over a 14-year span, including four in a row from 1988-91. VCU has captured four league crowns (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007) while Old Dominion (1994-96) and Richmond (1986, 1997, 1998) each have three titles. George Mason (1988, 1992) and UNC Wilmington (2004, 2006) have won a pair of CAA championships and Georgia State (2009), James Madison (2008) and William and Mary (2001) have won one.

The CAA has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s top baseball conferences. The conference has sent multiple teams to the NCAA Baseball Championship in nine of the past 12 years, and the CAA had three teams received tournament berths in 1995, 1999 and 2001.

CAA BASEBALL SILVER ANNIVERSARY TEAM

Dana Allison – James Madison – 1986-89 – Front Royal, Va.
•    Earned CAA Player of the Year and All-America honors in 1988
•    Two-time All-CAA selection who went 12-2 with a 1.53 ERA in 1988
•    Ranks among JMU’s top five in career wins (25), complete games (23)and strikeouts (220)

Sean Casey – Richmond – 1993-95 – Pittsburgh, Pa.
•    Received CAA Player of the Year and All-America accolades in 1995
•    Three-time All-CAA honoree who led the nation in batting in 1995 (.461)
•    Played 11 years in the majors and was a three-time National League All-Star

Jason Dubois – VCU – 1998-2000 – Virginia Beach, Va.
•    Three-time All-CAA selection who received All-America honors in 2000
•    Won the CAA Triple Crown in 2000 with a .435 average, 19 homers and 74 RBI
•    Ranks among VCU’s career top 10 in batting (.375), homers (37), and RBI (183)

Tommy Eason – East Carolina – 1989-91 – Snow Hill, N.C.
•    Received first-team All-CAA honors in 1989 and 1990
•    Batted over .300 in all three seasons and hit .336 for his career
•    Hit .366 and led the CAA in home runs (17) and RBI (62) in 1990

Wayne Gomes – Old Dominion – 1991-93 – Hampton, Va.
•    Earned first-team All-CAA honors in 1993 and was a 1991 Freshman All-American
•    Second on ODU’s career saves list (16) and struck out 156 batters in 100 innings
•    Fourth overall pick in the 1993 draft who pitched seven seasons in the majors

Brendan Harris – William and Mary – 1999-2001 – Queensbury, N.Y.
•    Received first-team All-CAA and All-State accolades in 2001
•    Ranks among W&M’s top five in career batting (.363), hits (237), runs (185) and RBI (160)
•    Currently plays for the Minnesota Twins

Ronald Hill – UNC Wilmington – 2002-05 – Wilmington, N.C.
•    Two-time All-Region honoree who earned first-team All-CAA honors in 2005
•    Posted  a perfect 17-0 career record in CAA regular season and postseason games
•    Holds the UNCW record for wins in a season (12) and a career (31)

Tim Hummel – Old Dominion – 1998-2000 – Montgomery, N.Y.
•    Received first-team All-America honors and was the CAA Player of the Year in 2000
•    Three-time All-CAA selection who received Freshman All-America accolades in 1998
•    Batted .388 for his career and owns the ODU career record for on-base percentage (.508)

Brandon Inge – VCU – 1996-98 – Lynchburg, Va.
•    Earned first-team All-America and CAA Co-Player of the Year honors in 1998
•    Three-time All-CAA selection as a shortstop and a relief pitcher
•    Nine-year veteran of the Detroit Tigers who made the All-Star team in 2009

Winfred Johnson – East Carolina – 1983-86 – Pittsboro, N.C.
•    Two-time All-American (1985, 1986) who was the 1986 CAA Player of the Year
•    First player in NCAA history with 70 career homers and 35 pitching victories
•    Owns ECU career records for batting average (.369), homers (70), RBI (221) and wins (35)

Brian Jordan – Richmond – 1986-88 – Baltimore, Md.
•    Two-time ABCA All-Region selection (1987, 1988)
•    Ranks seventh in career homers (32) and stolen bases (57) at Richmond
•    Played 14 seasons in the majors and made the All-Star team in 1999

Eddie Kim – James Madison – 2000-03 – Fairfax, Va.
•    Honored as the CAA Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003
•    Two-time All-Region selection and an All-America honoree in 2003
•    Among JMU’s top five in career batting (.409), home runs (36) and RBI (197)

Scott Krieger – George Mason – 2006-09 – Towson, Md.
•    Received CAA Player of the Year and All-America honors in 2009
•    Three-time All-CAA selection who owns five Mason career records
•    Among the top five in CAA history in hits (303), homers (69), runs (228) and RBI (238)

Kellen Kulbacki – James Madison – 2005-07 – Hershey, Pa.
•    Two-time All-American who was Collegiate Baseball’s 2006 Co-National Player of the Year
•    Chosen as the CAA and state of Virginia Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007
•    Set CAA season records for batting average (.464) and home runs (24) in 2006

Sean Marshall – VCU – 2001-03 – Richmond, Va.
•    Two-time All-CAA honoree who was a Freshman All-American in 2001
•    Ranks among VCU’s career top 10 in starts (40) and strikeouts (254)
•    Just completed his fourth season as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs

Cla Meredith – VCU – 2002-04 – Chesterfield, Va.
•    Two-time All-CAA selection who earned honorable mention All-America honors in 2003
•    Ranks among VCU’s career top 10 in saves (15), appearances (79) and ERA (2.52)
•    Just finished his fifth season in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles

Greg Miller – James Madison – 1998-2001 – Herndon, Va.
•    Earned All-CAA and All-Region accolades in 1999 and 2001
•    Owns CAA and JMU records for hits in a career with 318
•    Set five CAA Tournament records by going 7-for-7 with 3 HR and 9 RBI against UR in 2000

Sergio Miranda – VCU – 2005-07 – Bayamon, Puerto Rico
•    Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in 2007 and a two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year
•    Three-time All-CAA selection who earned Freshman All-America honors in 2005
•    Among the top three in career assists (570), hits (283) and batting average (.376) at VCU

Jeff Palumbo – George Mason – 2001-04 – Bowie, Md.
•    CAA Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2003 and 2004
•    Batted .402 and led the nation in runs per game in 2004 (81 in 58 games)
•    Among the top 10 in CAA history in at-bats (865), runs (205) and hits (283)

Matt Quatraro – Old Dominion – 1993-96 – Selkirk, N.Y.
•    Received All-America and Academic All-America honors in 1996
•    Three-time All-CAA selection who was the MVP of the 1994 CAA Tournament
•    Led the CAA with a .416 batting average in 1996 and hit .400 for his career

John Raynor – UNC Wilmington – 2003-06 – Benson, N.C.
•    Received All-America accolades in 2006 after batting .420 with 69 RBI and 42 steals
•    Two-time All-CAA and ABCA All-Region selection (2005, 2006)
•    Among the top five in career batting (.352), runs (161), hits (230), and RBI (148) at UNCW

Justin Verlander – Old Dominion – 2002-04 – Manakin-Sabot, Va.
•    All-time strikeout leader (427) for ODU, the CAA and the state of Virginia
•     Two-time All-CAA and All-Region selection
•    Five-year member of the Detroit Tigers who made the All-Star team in 2007 and 2009

Ron Walker – Old Dominion – 1995-97 – Indian Mills, N.J.
•    Earned All-CAA accolades as a third baseman and relief pitcher
•    Two-time All-Region honoree and a Freshman All-American in 1995
•    ODU’s all-time leader in saves (17) and ranks second in career home runs (36)

Chris Widger – George Mason – 1990-92 – Wilmington, Del.
•    Received first-team All-CAA and All-Region honors in 1991 and 1992
•    Among Mason’s career top 10 in home runs (32), RBI (149) and doubles (52)
•    Played 10 seasons in the majors and won a World Series with the 2005 Chicago White Sox

(Release)

James Madison Favored To Win 2010 Title RICHMOND, Va. – James Madison, which returns its entire starting lineup from a year ago, has been picked to win the CAA baseball championship in 2010 according to a vote of the league’s head baseball coaches. The Dukes received nine first-place votes and finished atop the poll with 99 points. Perennial power UNC Wilmington got the other two first-place votes and was picked second with 91 points. Defending CAA champion Georgia State was chosen third with 75 points and Old Dominion was fourth with 66 points. Delaware was tabbed to place fifth followed by George Mason, Towson and VCU (tied for seventh), Northeastern, William & Mary and Hofstra. JMU welcomes back all eight everyday starters and 11 of its 13 pitchers from last year’s 30-24 squad. Among the returnees are five players who received All-CAA honors in 2009 – outfielders Matt Townsend (.390, 17 HR), Matt Browning (.376, 59 RBI) and Alex Foltz (.351), infielder/pitcher Trevor Knight (.377, 55 RBI) and second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (.328, 32 RBI).  JMU also returns a pair of all-conference pitchers in junior starter Turner Phelps (8-2, 5.33 ERA) and junior closer Kevin Munson (3-3, 9 svs., 2.85 ERA). UNCW returns all 14 members of its pitching staff and eight of nine everyday starters from last year’s 31-23 club. Leading the Seahawks’ mound corps are starters Daniel Cropper (5-2, 5.46 ERA) and Tyler McSwain (2-1, 3.80 ERA) and relievers Steven Davis (5-2), Stephen Harrold (4-1) and Bryan Booth (2-1, 6 svs.). Expected to lead UNCW offensively are junior catcher Cody Stanley (.332, 56 RBI) senior shortstop Mike Rooney (.341, 43 RBI), senior outfielder Grayson Evans (.314, 47 RBI) and senior infielder Robbie Monday (.277, 12 HR). Georgia State is coming off the most successful season in school history with a 39-22 overall record and its first CAA championship. Topping a group of six returning everyday starters are senior first baseman Bradley Logan (.309, 49 RBI), who earned CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Performer honors, and infielders Carl Moniz (.261) and Brandon Williams (.310). The Panthers’ pitching staff should be strong with senior Ryan Moore (7-2, 4.41 ERA), junior Aidan Francis (5-1, 4.15 ERA) and sophomore closer Justin Malone (1-0, 7 svs, 1.35 ERA). Old Dominion returns 19 of 24 lettermen from a year ago. The Monarchs will be led offensively by senior All-CAA third baseman Jake McAloose (.413, 44 RBI), junior outfielder Donnie Corsner (.323) and sophomore first baseman Josh Wright (.263, 49 RBI). Back on the mound for ODU are a pair CAA All-Rookie selections in Brett Harris (6-4, 4.95 ERA) and Ben Tomchick (5-3, 3.51 ERA) as well as senior Chris Boggs (5-2, 3.20 ERA). 2010 CAA BASEBALL PRESEASON PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1. James Madison (9 first-place votes)             99 2. UNC Wilmington (2 first-place votes)            91 3. Georgia State                                            75 4. Old Dominion                                            66 5. Delaware                                                   61 6. George Mason                                           54 7. Towson                                                     42 VCU                                                         42 9. Northeastern                                             40 10. William and Mary                                     24 11. Hofstra                                                   11