Carmon Garners Preseason All-America Plaudits

AIKEN, S.C. – University of South Carolina Aiken senior baseball player Stephen Carmon has been selected as a 2012 preseason American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Preseason All-American. 

He is one of only 14 players in the Peach Belt Conference to be recognized for the award that appeared in the latest edition of the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Carmon was not the only Pacer to receive preseason praise as senior Nick Aranas was tabbed as a player to watch. USC Aiken newcomer Bill Gerstenslager was chosen as a newcomer to watch.

A native of Camden, S.C., Carmon finished his 2011 season in the top 10 in the Peach Belt Conference in 13 different offensive categories. He was also second in the league in assists with 162.

Carmon, who ended the regular season first in the PBC in total bases (115) and triples (seven), started all 50 games for USC Aiken at shortstop in 2011.

He concluded his junior campaign hitting .373 (72-for-193) with 46 runs scored and 26 RBIs. He finished his season with 28 extra-base hits on 17 doubles, seven triples and four home runs.

The 2009 PBC Freshman of the Year had a slugging percentage of .596 and an on-base percentage of .474 in 2011.

The Camden High School product owned a team-best 11-game hitting streak in 2011. Carmon also obtained 20 multiple hit games in 2011.

A two-time PBC Player of the Week (Feb. 15 and Apr. 19) in 2011, Carmon stole a team-best 32 bases.

For his efforts in 2011, Carmon was named a Second-Team All-Peach Belt Conference selection and an All-Region selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the ABCA.

Aranas missed the entire 2011 season due to injury after entering the season as a preseason All-American and a member of the Peach Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. He was named to the 2011 Tino Martinez Award Watch List.

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.

A transfer out of Mercyhurst, Gerstenslager enters his first season in a Pacer uniform in 2012 coming off a sophomore campaign in which he hit .312 with four home runs. The Solon, Ohio native hit .388 as a freshman.

The 2011 Pacer baseball team finished its campaign with a record of 29-21. USC Aiken was 9-15 in Peach Belt Conference action in 2011.

USC Aiken’s 2012 schedule will commence with 13 straight home games at Roberto Hernandez Stadium as the Pacers will play all their games in February at home.

For the eighth straight year, USC Aiken will play its first three-game series of the year against Lincoln Memorial. The familiar foes will open their 2012 seasons with a 4 p.m. contest on Friday, Feb. 3. The three-game series between the Pacers and Railsplitters will end with single 1 p.m. games on Saturday, Feb. 4 and Sunday, Feb. 5. USC Aiken owns a 22-13 all-time series advantage over Lincoln Memorial.