Barna, Weiss Named Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
2/10/2011 12:35:52 PM | Baseball
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Senior first baseman Danny Weiss and sophomore third baseman Andrew Barna were named to the Preseason All-SoCon Second Team, as selected by the Southern Conference head baseball coaches and announced today by the league.
Weiss appeared in 39 games and started 38 at first base for Davidson in 2010. Despite a junior season cut short by injury, Weiss led the team with a .368 batting average, the seventh-best in the SoCon, and a .536 slugging percentage, the 11th-best in the league, to go along with 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 35 RBI. It is the second straight Preseason All-SoCon selection for Weiss, who was named to the All-SoCon Second Team as a designated hitter in 2009 and named Ping! All-Freshmen Honorable Mention after the 2008 season.
Barna started all 51 games for the Wildcats at third base in 2010 and batted .329 with a team-best 17 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and a team-leading 52 RBI in his rookie season. He earned a spot on the All-SoCon Freshman Team and was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, becoming just the third Wildcat to do so and first since shortstop Robert Eenhoorn in 1990. After earning SoCon Player of the Week honors for Feb. 22-29, he was named SoCon Player of the Month for February, Davidson's second selection and first since Jay Heafner in March of 2005. He was also the first Wildcat to finish the season with more than 50 RBI since Heafner's 58 in 2005.
The College of Charleston's Cole Rakar was named Preseason Player of the Year and cross-town rival Citadel's Matt Talley was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
As a junior, Rakar led the Southern Conference in runs (76), hits (102) and doubles (26) while finishing in the top 20 nationally in each category. His .378 batting average was third highest in the league, and he was honored in 2010 as a first team All-SoCon selection as well as earning NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional All-Tournament Team honors.
Talley fashioned an 8-3 record with a 3.71 ERA in 16 starts a season ago. He held opponents to a .251 batting average and led all returning pitchers in the SoCon with 85 strikeouts in 2010. Talley was named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Regional in Columbia after limiting Virginia Tech to two runs in seven innings as the Bulldogs topped the Hokies, 7-2, in the tournament opener.
The consensus number one pick, the College of Charleston placed five players on the First Team, including reliever Casey Lucchese, catcher Rob Kral, first baseman Jose Rodriguez, and third baseman and 2010 SoCon Player of the Year Matt Leeds, to go along with Rakar in the outfield. Western Carolina starting pitcher Matt Benedict was named to the First Team alongside Talley, along with teammates Ross Heffley at second base and Matt Johns in the outfield. Elon short stop Neal Pritchard, Georgia Southern outfielder Shawn Payne and Wofford designated hitter Mac Doyle flesh out the First Team.
Starting pitchers Lex Rutledge of Samford and David Peterson of Charleston were named to the Second Team, along with reliever Brandon Johnson of Western Carolina. Appalachian State catcher Jeremy Dowdy, Citadel first baseman Justin Mackert, Furman second baseman Will Muzika, Georgia Southern shortstop Eric Phillips, Citadel outfielder Nick Orvin, Wofford outfielder?James Foster, Furman outfielder Will Owens and Citadel designated hitter Brad Felder were also named to the Second Team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
Charleston was selected first in both the Coaches' and Media Polls, while Elon and Georgia Southern tied for the second spot with 81 points each in the Coaches' Poll. With 10 coaches voting Charleston number one, Western Carolina received the only other first-place vote to finish fourth with 79 points, followed by The Citadel (68), Appalachian State (58), Samford (44), Furman (35), UNCG?(23), Wofford (23) and Davidson (18).
Charleston received 19 first-place votes to also finish first in the Media Poll with 239 points, followed by The Citadel (196) and Elon (193), who each received one first-place vote. Georgia Southern (180) was picked fourth, followed by Western Carolina (173), who received the final first-place vote, and Appalachian State (128), Samford (102), Furman (85), Wofford (72), UNCG?(51) and Davidson (33) rounded out the Media Poll.
2011 SoCon Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Cole Rakar, Sr., OF, College of Charleston
Pitcher of the Year – Matt Talley, Sr., LHP, The Citadel
First Team
SP Matt Talley, The Citadel
SP Matt Benedict, Western Carolina
RP Casey Lucchese, College of Charleston
C Rob Kral, College of Charleston
1B Jose Rodriguez, College of Charleston
2B Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
SS Neal Pritchard, Elon
3B Matt Leeds, College of Charleston
OF Cole Raker, College of Charleston
OF Shawn Payne, Georgia Southern
OF Matt Johns, Western Carolina
DH Mac Doyle, Wofford
Second Team
SP Lex Rutledge, Samford
SP David Peterson, College of Charleston
RP Brandon Johnson, Western Carolina
C Jeremy Dowdy, Appalachian State
1B Danny Weiss, Davidson
1B (tie) Justin Mackert, The Citadel
2B Will Muzika, Furman
SS Eric Phillips, Georgia Southern
3B Andrew Barna, Davidson
OF Nick Orvin, The Citadel
OF James Foster, Wofford
OF Will Owens, Furman
DH Brad Felder, The Citadel
2011 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Place School (First) Points
1. College of Charleston (10) 100
2t. Elon 81
2t. Georgia Southern 81
4. Western Carolina (1) 79
5. The Citadel 68
6. Appalachian State 58
7. Samford 44
8. Furman 35
9t. UNCG 23
9t. Wofford 23
11. Davidson 18
2011 SoCon Baseball Preseason Media Poll
Place School (First) Points
1. College of Charleston (19) 239
2. The Citadel (1) 196
3. Elon (1) 193
4. Georgia Southern 180
5. Western Carolina (1) 173
6. Appalachian State 128
7. Samford 102
8. Furman 85
9. Wofford 72
10. UNCG 51
11. Davidson 33
Weiss appeared in 39 games and started 38 at first base for Davidson in 2010. Despite a junior season cut short by injury, Weiss led the team with a .368 batting average, the seventh-best in the SoCon, and a .536 slugging percentage, the 11th-best in the league, to go along with 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 35 RBI. It is the second straight Preseason All-SoCon selection for Weiss, who was named to the All-SoCon Second Team as a designated hitter in 2009 and named Ping! All-Freshmen Honorable Mention after the 2008 season.
Barna started all 51 games for the Wildcats at third base in 2010 and batted .329 with a team-best 17 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and a team-leading 52 RBI in his rookie season. He earned a spot on the All-SoCon Freshman Team and was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, becoming just the third Wildcat to do so and first since shortstop Robert Eenhoorn in 1990. After earning SoCon Player of the Week honors for Feb. 22-29, he was named SoCon Player of the Month for February, Davidson's second selection and first since Jay Heafner in March of 2005. He was also the first Wildcat to finish the season with more than 50 RBI since Heafner's 58 in 2005.
The College of Charleston's Cole Rakar was named Preseason Player of the Year and cross-town rival Citadel's Matt Talley was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
As a junior, Rakar led the Southern Conference in runs (76), hits (102) and doubles (26) while finishing in the top 20 nationally in each category. His .378 batting average was third highest in the league, and he was honored in 2010 as a first team All-SoCon selection as well as earning NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional All-Tournament Team honors.
Talley fashioned an 8-3 record with a 3.71 ERA in 16 starts a season ago. He held opponents to a .251 batting average and led all returning pitchers in the SoCon with 85 strikeouts in 2010. Talley was named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Regional in Columbia after limiting Virginia Tech to two runs in seven innings as the Bulldogs topped the Hokies, 7-2, in the tournament opener.
The consensus number one pick, the College of Charleston placed five players on the First Team, including reliever Casey Lucchese, catcher Rob Kral, first baseman Jose Rodriguez, and third baseman and 2010 SoCon Player of the Year Matt Leeds, to go along with Rakar in the outfield. Western Carolina starting pitcher Matt Benedict was named to the First Team alongside Talley, along with teammates Ross Heffley at second base and Matt Johns in the outfield. Elon short stop Neal Pritchard, Georgia Southern outfielder Shawn Payne and Wofford designated hitter Mac Doyle flesh out the First Team.
Starting pitchers Lex Rutledge of Samford and David Peterson of Charleston were named to the Second Team, along with reliever Brandon Johnson of Western Carolina. Appalachian State catcher Jeremy Dowdy, Citadel first baseman Justin Mackert, Furman second baseman Will Muzika, Georgia Southern shortstop Eric Phillips, Citadel outfielder Nick Orvin, Wofford outfielder?James Foster, Furman outfielder Will Owens and Citadel designated hitter Brad Felder were also named to the Second Team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
Charleston was selected first in both the Coaches' and Media Polls, while Elon and Georgia Southern tied for the second spot with 81 points each in the Coaches' Poll. With 10 coaches voting Charleston number one, Western Carolina received the only other first-place vote to finish fourth with 79 points, followed by The Citadel (68), Appalachian State (58), Samford (44), Furman (35), UNCG?(23), Wofford (23) and Davidson (18).
Charleston received 19 first-place votes to also finish first in the Media Poll with 239 points, followed by The Citadel (196) and Elon (193), who each received one first-place vote. Georgia Southern (180) was picked fourth, followed by Western Carolina (173), who received the final first-place vote, and Appalachian State (128), Samford (102), Furman (85), Wofford (72), UNCG?(51) and Davidson (33) rounded out the Media Poll.
2011 SoCon Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Cole Rakar, Sr., OF, College of Charleston
Pitcher of the Year – Matt Talley, Sr., LHP, The Citadel
First Team
SP Matt Talley, The Citadel
SP Matt Benedict, Western Carolina
RP Casey Lucchese, College of Charleston
C Rob Kral, College of Charleston
1B Jose Rodriguez, College of Charleston
2B Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
SS Neal Pritchard, Elon
3B Matt Leeds, College of Charleston
OF Cole Raker, College of Charleston
OF Shawn Payne, Georgia Southern
OF Matt Johns, Western Carolina
DH Mac Doyle, Wofford
Second Team
SP Lex Rutledge, Samford
SP David Peterson, College of Charleston
RP Brandon Johnson, Western Carolina
C Jeremy Dowdy, Appalachian State
1B Danny Weiss, Davidson
1B (tie) Justin Mackert, The Citadel
2B Will Muzika, Furman
SS Eric Phillips, Georgia Southern
3B Andrew Barna, Davidson
OF Nick Orvin, The Citadel
OF James Foster, Wofford
OF Will Owens, Furman
DH Brad Felder, The Citadel
2011 SoCon Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Place School (First) Points
1. College of Charleston (10) 100
2t. Elon 81
2t. Georgia Southern 81
4. Western Carolina (1) 79
5. The Citadel 68
6. Appalachian State 58
7. Samford 44
8. Furman 35
9t. UNCG 23
9t. Wofford 23
11. Davidson 18
2011 SoCon Baseball Preseason Media Poll
Place School (First) Points
1. College of Charleston (19) 239
2. The Citadel (1) 196
3. Elon (1) 193
4. Georgia Southern 180
5. Western Carolina (1) 173
6. Appalachian State 128
7. Samford 102
8. Furman 85
9. Wofford 72
10. UNCG 51
11. Davidson 33
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