Smith heads up NCWC baseball postseason award winners

Rocky Mount, NC - Senior outfielder Matt Smith (pictured) heads up North Carolina Wesleyan baseball's postseason award winners, highlighted by his being named to the D3baseball.com All-America team for the second straight season.  Additionally, Smith was an All-South Region selection, along with teammates Chris Pecora, Justin Batts, and Ben Moore. Smith also picked up his second straight South Region Gold Glove award, while junior Travis Beausoleil earned the first of his Bishop career.  These five young men helped head coach Charlie Long’s squad turn in a 28-14-1 overall record in 2008, as well as runner-up finishes in the USA South's regular season and tournament championships.

Smith, a native of Stedman, NC, concluded his stellar Bishop career with one the best offensive seasons in recent history.  His .455 batting average led the squad, while his 75 hits placed him atop Wesleyan's career hits list with 271 over four seasons. A four-time First Team All-Conference performer, he committed just one error in 86 chances in centerfield. He becomes just the eighth Bishop in the program's storied history to twice earn All-America honors.

Pecora, who hails from Henderson, NC, was named Second Team All-Region in the outfield after turning in a .375 batting average and team-best five homeruns. Juniors Justin Batts (Wilson, NC) and Ben Moore (Smithfield, NC) rounded out Wesleyan's All-Region picks on the Honorable Mention squad. Batts batted .397 and led the team with 50 RBI, while Moore turned in a team-best 8-2 record on the mound. Moore, in fact, was the lone Bishop representative on the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association's All-State team.

Beausoleil, a junior from Plainfield, CT, completes the Bishops' postseason award winners. In his first season with the Blue & Gold, the talented second basemen made just two errors in just 206 attempts en route to South Region Gold Glove accolades. His .990 fielding percentage led the team, as did his 28 double plays turned.

Congratulations to all five young men on their stellar seasons!