Sims heads GSAC baseball award winners
April 30, 2008

LaGrange senior outfielder Michael Sims is the 2008 Great South Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Sims received the award during ceremonies at the GSAC Championship Tournament held at Cleaveland Field last weekend.

Seniors Cory Matticola and Seth Tucker along with junior Patrick Langley joined Sims on the GSAC All-Conference team. Sims and Tucker also earned GSAC All-Academic honors. Joining Sims and Tucker on the All-Academic team was Blake Allen, Justin Baker, Dale Feldman, Eric Heath, Ryan Martin and Jose Navarro. Jonathan Chapman and Luis Perez were selected to the GSAC All-Freshman team.

Sims, a four-year letterman, is a Biology major from Columbus, Ga. He was a third-team All-American as a junior last season and is a two-time All-GSAC selection, along with earning GSAC All-Academic honors twice. Sims batted .421 with six home runs and 44 RBIs, all career-highs for him. He had 36 stolen bases and set a new school record with 73 runs scored. Sims had a 25-game hitting streak and hit safely in 41 of 44 games. He is ranked in the top 10 in six national offensive categories. Mike leds or is tied for the team lead in 14 offensive categories. In the GSAC, he is in the top five in 14 offensive categories. Mike is in the top 10 in 28 school career offensive categories and six school career fielding categories since LaGrange joined the NCAA in 2001.

Tucker is also a Biology major and a four-year letterman for the Panthers. He has earned GSAC All-Academic honors for the past two seasons. He batted .404 this season with five home runs and 51 RBIs, all career bests. Tucker is ranked in the top five in 23 team offensive categories and has committed only two errors in 101 chances in the outfield. In the GSAC, he is in the top five in 14 offensive categories. Tucker is ranked in the top 10 in 28 school career offensive categories and five school career fielding categories since LaGrange joined the NCAA in 2001.

Langley led the team and the GSAC in batting with a .426 average and in RBIs with 63. The 63 RBIs was the second highest total by a Panther in a season. Matticola batted .393 for the season and drove in 58 runs, both career highs. Both Langley and Matticola are on the all-conference team for the second time.

Chapman was 1-1 in with a 3.38 ERA in 17 appearances. He led the pitching staff with six saves. Perez batted .324 in 32 games this season. He committed only one error behind the plate at catcher.