Baseball squad places conference-high 10 members on AAC All-Academic Team

WALESKA, Ga. -- Ten members of the Reinhardt University 2011 baseball squad were recently named to the Appalachian Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. To be recognized as a part of the all-academic team, a player must: have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or better, be at least a sophomore in academic status, and have played in a minimum of 50 percent of the squad's competitions.

 

Earning spots on the all-academic team from Reinhardt were senior Brett Flick, a 6-foot, 175-pound infielder from Marietta, Ga.; senior Ben Gonglach, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed pitcher out of Marietta; sophomore Matt Hartwell, a 5-foot-8, 130-pound infielder from Cumming, Ga.; sophomore Dustin Kimberley, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound catcher out of Douglasville, Ga.; senior Billy King, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound outfielder from Marietta; junior Michael Lonati, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound infielder out of Kennesaw, Ga.; senior Ryan McDowell, a 6-foot, 175-pound right-handed pitcher from Kennesaw; junior Taylor Smith, a 6-foot, 180-pound right-handed pitcher out of Dacula, Ga.; sophomore Ethan Starr, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound infielder from Athens, Tenn.; and junior Josh Wilson, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound left-handed pitcher out of Marietta.

McDowell, who received his bachelor's degree with magna cum laude honors from Reinhardt last Saturday, was chosen to the AAC All-Academic Team last year and Southern States Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in both 2008 and 2009. He also garnered Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades, which requires a 3.5 GPA, in 2009 and 2010.

A total of 34 players from across the eight conference clubs qualified for the 2011 AAC All-Academic Team. The Eagles led all members with their 10 selections, followed by Bluefield College and Bryan College with six each, Montreat College with five, Milligan College and Union College (Ky.) with three apiece, and Virginia Intermont College with one.

Reinhardt, the No. 6 seed, opened play at the AAC Championship tournament on Tuesday afternoon in Kingsport, Tenn., with a 14-2 win in seven innings over the third-seeded Milligan Buffaloes. The Eagles, who are 18-33 overall, take on the winner between the No. 7-seeded Bryan Lions and second-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan College Bulldogs on Thursday at 11 a.m. in tournament action.