Baseball Southern Conference

Michael, Curtis Chosen Preseason All-America

PROVIDENCE, R.I.-National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has selected its fourth annual preseason All-America teams with a wide variety of NCAA World Series standouts, student-athletes from traditional powers and players representing 16 different Division I conferences for the 2003 campaign.

College of Charleston infielder Lee Curtis was named to the second team and UNC Greensboro pitcher Scooter Michael was selected to the third team.

Curtis, the 2002 Southern Conference Player of the Year, finished
second to teammate Brett Spivey (.423) for the SoCon batting title last
spring. He hit .409 with a team-leading 15 homers and 65 RBI. The Greer,
S.C. native swiped 21 bases in 25 attempts while leading the Cougars with
nine triples, 92 hits, 67 runs scored and 166 total bases.

Curtis, a senior, set school single-season records for homers, runs
scored, hits, total bases and slugging percentage (.738). Curtis finished
in the top six in nine offensive categories in the Southern Conference. He
led the league in hits, triples, total bases, slugging percentage and tied
for the conference-lead in home runs. He ranked second in runs scored,
RBI, on base percentage and sixth in stolen bases.

Curtis, who was named to the Southern Conference All-Tournament
team, helped Charleston to its most successful season in school history.
The Cougars, who cracked the NCBWA top 35 poll during the season for the
first time, finished with a 36-22 record (the most wins by a CofC team) and
finished runners-up in the SoCon Tournament.

UNCG junior starting pitcher Scooter Michael was chosen to the third team.

Michael (Jr./Greensboro, NC), who opened last season as the UNCG closer, went 12-1 with a 2.96 earned run average. Michael not only led the Southern Conference in wins, but also ranked fifth in the entire country. The right-handed hurler was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week three times and earned first team All-Southern Conference by the coaches and media last season.

Michael was chosen by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in Association with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, as a semifinalist for the 2002 Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball. A Louisville Slugger third-team All-American in 2002, Michael was the lone player from the SoCon of the 40 semifinalists. The Southern Conference Sports Media Association named Michael as its 2002 Pitcher of the Year.