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January 22, 2011

Aranas Garners Preseason All-American Plaudits

AIKEN, S.C. – University of South Carolina Aiken senior baseball player Nick Aranas has been selected as a 2011 preseason NCAA Division II All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

He was one of 11 players in the South Atlantic Region to earn the honor, and one of six players in the Peach Belt Conference to be recognized for the award that appeared in the latest edition of the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Aranas was not the only Pacer to receive preseason recognition as Pacer junior Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) was named as a player to watch by the ABCA. The ABCA tabbed USC Aiken junior outfielder Stephen Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC) as a newcomer to watch.

Aranas ended his junior season by being named to the 2010 NCAA Division II Daktronics All-America Baseball first team as a designated hitter.

Aranas finished the 2010 season leading the Pacers with a .415 (83-for-200) batting average. The batting average was the third-best in the Peach Belt Conference last year.

In total, the Lexington, S.C. native finished the 2010 season in the top 15 in the PBC in six different categories.

Aranas was second-best among all Pacers in 2010 with 53 RBIs and 46 runs scored. He was second on the squad in total bases over the course of the year as well with 129.

Aranas slugged a team second-best .645 and had a team-high on-base percentage of .481. Aranas captured a team-high 29 multiple hit games in 2010, including 21 two-hit games. He was second on the squad in multiple RBI games with 14. He was also second on the squad with 25 extra-base knocks. He had a team-high tying 13 doubles to go along with three triples and nine home runs.

The Lexington High School product owned the team season-high hitting streak, securing a hit in 14 consecutive games at one point during the regular season.

The Pacer shortstop, Carmon concluded the 2010 season hitting .357 with 38 RBIs. He scored 40 runs.

Carmon had 19 extra-base knocks last season, including 11 doubles. Carmon had six home runs and two triples.

Carmon ended his freshman campaign for USC Aiken in 2009 as the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.

The USC Aiken baseball program has won 30 or more games in each of the last 10 seasons, while also having played in five of the last six NCAA Division II Tournaments. The Pacers finished the 2010 season with a 32-19 overall record.

USC Aiken will commence the 2011 regular season with a preseason top 20 ranking at No. 20. USC Aiken will open its season with 18 consecutive home games.

For the seventh straight year, USC Aiken will play its first three-game series of its season against Lincoln Memorial. The Pacers and Railsplitters will begin their season-opening three-game set at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. The series will conclude with two single 1 p.m. games on Saturday, Feb. 5 and Sunday, Feb. 6.