Pirates Place Six On PBC Baseball All-Academic Team

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Six members of the Armstrong Atlantic State baseball squad were named to the 2009 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team, announced by league officials over the weekend. The Pirates had the most players of any league school on the squad.

Five players earned first team honors, led by senior first baseman Kenny Cail, senior shortstop Juan Dorado and senior starting pitcher Cody Walden. Junior second baseman Carlos Cardoza-Oquendo and sophomore designated hitter Josh Heath were also first team honorees, while senior Jeff Chase was named to the second team.

Cail carries a 3.53 GPA in biology and hit .357 with 18 doubles, five home runs and 50 RBI this season, his third as a Pirate. Dorado has a 3.36 GPA in English communications and set a new NCAA DII single-season record with 38 sacrifice hits, while also hitting .372 with 33 RBIs, while Walden, an economics major with a 3.33 GPA, led the PBC in wins with 11, going 11-2 with a 3.70 ERA.

Cardoza-Oquendo, also an All-Region Gold Glove honoree, carries a 3.71 GPA in physical education and hit .252 this season with 22 RBIs. Heath has a perfect 4.00 GPA in biology and hit .288 in 35 games for the Pirates. Chase, who has a 3.30 GPA in chemistry, went 6-3 with a 4.46 ERA this season.

The Pirates finished the 2009 season with a 38-18 overall record and tied for fourth in the PBC standings.