JANTZEN BLACK NAMED FIRST-TEAM RAWLINGS/ABCA
ALL-SOUTH CENTRAL REGION SELECTION

        CLEVELAND, Mississippi – Arkansas Tech senior leftfielder Jantzen Black was named a First-Team Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-South Central Region selection on Tuesday, one day following the completion of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.

The Rawlings/ABCA All-South Central Regional team is voted on by the region’s head coaches and every member of the Rawlings/ABCA All-South Central Region Team must have been a member of their respective conference’s First or Second Teams.

Black, who is a native of Greenwood, Ark., was one of 18 Gulf South Conference players named to one of the two South Central Region teams and one of only six First-Team selections from the GSC West Division.

“Jantzen had a tremendous season for our baseball team and it is nice to see him recognized for his performance,” Wonder Boys Baseball Coach Billy Goss said.

Delta State, the 2008 GSC Tournament Champions and South Central Region runners-up leads the way with seven total selections, while West Alabama, Central Oklahoma, Incarnate Word and Ouachita Baptist, the South Central Regional champion, all had three selections each. Abilene Christian’s Mike Elkerson was named the South Central Region Player of the Year, while West Alabama’s Brandon Dill was named the South Central Region Pitcher of the Year.

Black, who was named a First-Team All-GSC West Division selection and Tech’s Outstanding Senior Male Student-Athlete of the Year this season, earns his All-South Central Region honor after posting a .452 batting average with 71 hits in 157 at-bats. In addition, he led the team with 18 doubles, had four triples, four home run and 37 RBIs. On the season, Black posted a .694 slugging percentage and a .516 on-base percentage as he had 109 total bases and was 10-for-11 in stolen bases. During the season, he had a school record 30-game hitting streak, which is the fourth-longest streak in GSC history and also managed 11 straight hits in 11 at-bats, which is also a school and GSC record. Black leaves Tech as the school’s career leader in at-bats (701) and is second in career hits (230) and runs scored (143) and third all-time in doubles (49) and total bases (342).

Joining Black, Elkerson and Dill on the All-South Central Region First-Team were Angelo State first baseman Clay Calfee, Delta State second baseman Clay Sartain, West Alabama third baseman Rob Dahlberg, SE Oklahoma shortstop Randall Clay, Incarnate Word infielder Dustin Walls, Delta State catcher Ricky Noland, Central Oklahoma designated hitter Tyler Carroll, Southern Arkansas outfielder John Long, Incarnate Word outfielder Chris Pacheco, Abilene Christian pitcher Trey Watten, Delta State pitcher Korey Cunningham, Ouachita Baptist pitcher Steve Smith and Valdosta State relief pitcher Justin Lamb.  

The Second-Team consisted of Ouachita Baptist first baseman Destan Mackonnen, North Alabama second baseman Matt Horton, Delta State third baseman Chris Clark, Delta State shortstop Devin Goodwin, Angelo State infielder Shan Sullivan, Central Oklahoma Migel Moctezuma, Valdosta State designated hitter Daniel Muniz, St. Edward’s outfielder Bradley Goldsmith, Delta State outfielder Hunter Jobes, Ouachita Baptist outfielder Justin Pennell, West Alabama outfielder Tres Avans, Incarnate Word pitcher Adam Rimlinger, Central Oklahoma pitcher Clint Straka, St. Mary’s pitcher Scott Schimek, Delta State pitcher Kenny Smalley and St. Edward’s relief pitcher David Wagner.   

           2008 Rawlings/ABCA All-South Central Region teams

-- Tech Athletics --