Moore and Saari highlight USA South spring award-winners

Fayetteville, NC - The USA South has announced its All-Conference awards for baseball, softball, tennis, and golf.  North Carolina Wesleyan had 15 athletes earn recognition, while five Bishops were named to their respective All-Sportsmanship teams.  Among the 15 honorees, there were six First Team picks, five Second Team picks, and four Honorable Mentions.  Leading the way were senior Ben Moore of baseball and sophomore Antti Saari of men's tennis, who each garnered Player of the Year accolades. NCWC also had two coaches be tabbed Coach of the Year in the form of Charlie Long and Dominic Modise.

BASEBALL AWARDS
In his 12th season at the helm of the North Carolina Wesleyan baseball program, Charlie Long collects his second Coach of the Year honor as he last won the award in 1999. Thusfar this season, Long has led the Bishops to a 20-15 overall record, an 8-4 conference mark and the program's 16th USA South regular season title. The Bishops last earned a championship in 2007 when they shared the honors with Ferrum College and Methodist.

A senior from Smithfield, NC, Ben Moore (pictured right) posted a 5-1 record with a 5.44 ERA and 28 strikeouts en route to Pitcher of the Year honors. In USA South-only action this season, Moore was a perfect 4-0 with a 4.35 ERA. He also earned First Team All-Conference accolades this spring, his second consecutive such honor.

Joining Moore on the First Team were seniors Zollie Woodlief and Luke Williford. Woodlief, who was also the Bishops' All-Sportsmanship representative, led Wesleyan during the regular season with seven homeruns and 37 RBI, while Williford currently boasts a team-best .376 batting average, 11 doubles and 23 stolen bases. Williford batted an impressive .444 in conference play.

Earning Second Team accolades were seniors Justin Batts and Justin Tuck. Batts was selected at catcher after turning in a .308 batting average with five homeruns and 27 RBI, including a .362 batting average in league play, while Tuck was chosen at designated hitter after batting at a .357 clip in USA South action.

Junior relief pitcher John Child rounded out the Bishops' baseball selections as a member of the Honorable Mention squad. Child recorded a 2.19 ERA in league games and has tallied a team-best five saves so far this season.

MEN'S TENNIS
In his second year at the helm of the North Carolina Wesleyan men's tennis program, Dominic Modise received his first USA South Men's Tennis Coach of the Year honor. Modise helped guide the 22nd-ranked Bishops to an undefeated 12-0 record and a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play. With the unblemished league record, Wesleyan earned its fourth-ever regular season title and first since 1976.

Antti Saari (pictured left), a sophomore from Lahti, Finland, played at the #1 singles position throughout the season and was undefeated against USA South opponents en route to Player of the Year honors. Overall, he was 9-2 in singles action, including a 7-0 mark in dual matches. At the #1 doubles spot, Saari earned a 9-6 overall record with teammate Alexey Rumyantsev. For his efforts, Saari earned First Team All-Conference accolades for the second consecutive spring. Last season's USA South Rookie of the Year, he is currently ranked 10th in the Atlantic South Region.

Joining Saari on the First Team was Rumyantsev, who anchored the #2 singles position for the Bishops this season. Rumyantsev turned in a 9-2 individual record, including an 8-0 mark in dual play.

Earning Second Team accolades were freshmen Davit Minasyan and Marcelo Prata, who teamed at #2 doubles to post a 8-2 record and 4-0 mark in USA South action. They also turned in a combined 12-5 record in singles play at the third and fourth slots, respectively.

Rounding out the men's tennis honorees were freshmen Anton Filonov and Fred Lemongo as Honorable Mention selections. Filonov teamed with Ilpo Kautonen to go 9-0 in doubles play, and he went on to post a 9-3 mark at #5 singles. At #6 singles, Lemongo went a perfect 8-0 this spring.

Freshman Dominic Forsdike was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

SOFTBALL
In softball, senior Whitney Moshier (pictured right) was tabbed a First Team selection after leading the Battling Bishops in nearly every offensive category this season. Moshier turned in a .333 batting average, including a .365 average in conference play.  She also tallied five homeruns, two doubles, two triples, 13 RBI, and six stolen bases while committing just one error defensively.

Junior Tiffany McCord was named to the Honorable Mention squad after emerging as a key player late in the season. In USA South action, she batted an impressive .455 and posted a 1-1 record on the mound with a 2.62 ERA.

Junior Tara Strickland was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

WOMEN'S TENNIS
In women's tennis, sophomore Jaime Galasso (pictured left) picked up her second straight Second Team honor after anchoring the #1 singles and #1 doubles position for the Bishops this season. She turned in six singles wins, including three in conference play, while posting five victories in doubles action.

Sophomore Leila Heinonen was named to her second straight All-Sportsmanship team. She anchored #2 singles for Wesleyan this season and teamed with Galasso at #1 doubles, earning five wins in each.

MEN'S GOLF
Junior Luke Oakley was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

Congratulations to all of our Bishop athletes on a job well done! To view the complete All-Conference teams in each sport, including Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year honors, please visit www.usasouth.net.

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