Howard Named Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year

AIKEN, S.C. – USC Aiken’s Travis Howard was chosen as the Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie), who was named to the 2009 Daktronics All-Southeast Region First Team as a designated hitter, was one of three Pacers to be recognized.

Ken Raborn (Evans, Ga./Evans) was named to the first team as a first baseman, while Cody McMorris (Canton, Ga./Southern Union) was tabbed to the second team as an outfielder.

Howard, who also was named to the All-PBC first team as a designated hitter, captured one of the most prolific regular seasons on offense in 2009 not only in USC Aiken and Peach Belt Conference history, but in NCAA Division II history.

Howard enters the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in Aiken, S.C. with a staggering 100 RBIs. The 100 RBIs leave him just four RBIs away from surpassing Jason Jones’ (Kennesaw State) PBC record of 103 set in 1998.

The 100 RBIs obtained by Howard presently only leave him five away from obtaining the all-time NCAA Division II record of 104 set by Jarred McAlvain of Central Oklahoma in 1997.

Howard’s proclivity to bring in runs currently has him atop the NCAA Division II landscape in runs batted in and runs batted in per game. He is overall in the top 100 in NCAA Division II in 11 different offensive categories. Howard is currently tops among all USC Aiken players with a .405 (94-for-232) batting average.

Howard had an incredible 38 extra-base hits in the 2009 regular season, finishing the regular season with 19 home runs, 16 doubles and three triples. The power numbers helped Howard currently own a slugging percentage of .746 and an on-base percentage of .448.

The only player to be named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week three times in 2009, Howard is currently in the top 10 in the Peach Belt Conference in ten different offensive categories, including hits, runs scored, home runs, doubles, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, total plate appearances, at-bats and sacrifice flies. 

Howard has had 30 multiple hit games in 2009, finishing the regular season with 28 multiple RBI games, including four contests with four or more RBIs. 

Raborn will conclude his Pacer career as a two-time All-Peach Belt Conference selection. The Pacer first baseman was chosen All-PBC last year as a utility player. He was tabbed as a first baseman in 2009. This is his first Daktronics All-Region nod. He was a second team National College Baseball Writers Association All-South Atlantic Region team member in 2008.

Named preseason All-Conference and as a “Player to Watch” in the Southeast Region by Collegiate Baseball prior to the start of the year, Raborn is still in the midst of one of the finest careers in school history.

Raborn entered the year as the school’s all-time leader in walks (172), but this year he has also became the career record holder in school history in hits (282), runs scored (194), RBIs (207), total bases (469), at-bats (802) and home runs (39). In total, Raborn currently holds the school record in seven different offensive categories. 

Raborn hit a team second-best .385 during the regular season. He had 32 extra-base knocks during the regular season, including a team-best 19 doubles. Raborn also has a team second-best 13 home runs to go along with 70 RBIs.

Raborn is in the top ten in the PBC in 11 different offensive categories in 2009, including hits, runs, home runs, doubles, RBIs, total bases, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, sacrifice flies and total plate appearances.

Raborn has obtained 23 multiple hit contests and 20 multiple RBI games in 2009 thus far.

Raborn enters the NCAA Division II Tournament with a .387 batting average and 20 doubles. He is now only four doubles away from claiming the school doubles record as well. Raborn, who has a team-leading 20 in 2009, currently has 55 in his career to sit three back of school record holders Robert Davis (2004-06) and Bradley Key (2002-04) at 58. 

McMorris is currently third-best on the nation’s top-hitting team with a .376 (88-for-234) batting average. He is presently tops among USC Aiken and Peach Belt Conference players with 38 stolen bases. He swiped 18 of the 38 stolen bases during USC Aiken’s conference campaign.

The 38 stolen bases currently have him in the top ten in NCAA Division II.

McMorris was especially potent during USC Aiken’s 2009 Peach Belt Conference campaign, batting a team-best .394 in conference games with all but three of his 43 hits during the Pacers’ PBC campaign coming on singles. The Pacer leadoff hitter scored a team-best 33 runs during USC Aiken’s 27 conference games.

McMorris is currently in the top ten in the PBC overall in eight different categories, including hits, runs scored, stolen bases, on-base percentage, total plate appearances, at-bats, steal attempts and hit by pitch.

McMorris scored a total of 72 runs during the regular season. Starting every game in centerfield for the Pacers, McMorris is also in the top five in NCAA Division II in runs scored. McMorris overall is in the top 15 in NCAA Division II in four categories currently (hits, runs, stolen bases and stolen bases per game).

McMorris at one point during the 2009 season hit in a Pacer season-high 24 consecutive games. He is just behind Howard among Pacers with 29 multiple hit games, which includes a team-best 22 two-hit games.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The online nomination and voting processes are powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM. Headquartered in Charleston, S.C., ATHLETICSITE.COM is the official provider for college athletic websites for over 30 sports organizations, including 26 colleges, universities and conferences primarily at the NCAA Division II level. To receive more information on how your institution can partner with ATHLETICSITE.COM for a customized website solution, visit www.athleticsite.com.

Both Howard and Raborn are now eligible for All-America honors via their selection to the first team.

The fifth-ranked Pacers will play host to the 2009 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional this weekend at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in Aiken, S.C. The Pacers are the No. 1 seed in the event and they will open the regional against sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey tomorrow (Thursday, May 14) at 7 p.m.

The 2009 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional will run Thursday, May 14-1Sunday, May 17. For more information on the event and/or to access the live stats and free webcasts for each game, please visit the tournament’s official website:http://www.pacersports.com/ncaabaseball/#

2009 DAKTRONICS, INC. 
ALL-SOUTHEAST REGION 
BASEBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Travis Howard, USC Aiken DH

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Cody Walden, Armstrong Atlantic St. SP 

FIRST TEAM
1B Ken Raborn, USC Aiken
2B Chas Anthony, Erskine
SS Rich Racobaldo, Mount Olive
3B Craige Lyerly, Catawba
OF Bryan Fogle, Erskine
OF Mark Letchworth, Wingate
OF Nate Grabowski, Tusculum
C Ryan Query, Catawba
DH Travis Howard, USC Aiken
UT Alex Vertcnik, Mount Olive
SP Cody Walden, Armstrong Atlantic St.
SP Nick Fogleman, Pfeiffer
SP C.J. Hillyer, Tusculum
SP Blake Ketner, Catawba
RP Martin Dewald, Georgia College & State Univ.

SECOND TEAM
1B Daniel Kassouf, Belmont Abbey
2B Brooks Robinson, Georgia College & State Univ
SS Barrett Kleinknecht, Francis Marion
3B Keon Graves, Francis Marion
OF Alex Wyche, Armstrong Atlantic St.
OF Cody McMorris, USC Aiken
OF Jared Richmond, Tusculum
C Jared Barkdoll, Francis Marion
DH Brian Williams, Mars Hill
UT Max Loveland, Lenoir-Rhyne
SP Jeremiah Meiners, Francis Marion
SP Tyler Powell, Belmont Abbey
SP Max Keleher, Tusculum
SP David Walters, Francis Marion
RP Rob Currie, Tusculum