SPARTANBURG, SC  -- The Southern Conference today announced its 2006 preseason All-Conference baseball team, as selected by the league’s head coaches.

Davidson’s Jay Heafner, last year’s Player of the Year, has been tabbed the league’s preseason Player of the Year.  Heafner led the SoCon a year ago and was second nationally with a .448 batting average while hitting 11 home runs and driving in 58 runs.  The senior from Lincolnton, NC, also scored 51 runs and paced the league with a .533 on-base percentage and was second with a .700 slugging percentage.  A first-team selection at third base last season, Heafner will move to shortstop this year.  Heafner also copped second-team preseason honors as a relief pitcher.

Georgia Southern’s Everett Teaford was named the preseason Pitcher of the Year.  The left-handed junior from Alpharetta, GA, was second in the league last year in wins with nine and also ranked eighth in the conference with a 3.99 ERA.  His 118 strikeouts in 119.2 innings pitched were the second most in the SoCon and opposing hitters batted only .257 against him.

Seven of the 10 teams in the league had at least one player garner preseason accolades, with College of Charleston and Furman leading the way with five apiece.  Davidson and Georgia Southern each placed four on one of the two teams, while Elon had three.  The Citadel and Western Carolina placed two on the list, while Wofford had one member on the squad.

The Cougars, Wildcats and Eagles each placed three players on the first team, while four of the Paladins’ selections were second-team picks.

Due to a tie in the voting, there were two relief pitchers on the first team and a third starter was added to the second team.

Preseason All-SoCon Baseball First Team

P          Everett Teaford, Georgia Southern

P          Dustin Evans, Georgia Southern

RP        Link Saunders, The Citadel

RP        Nick Hollstegge, Furman

C          Alex Entrekin, Davidson

1B        Greg Dowling, Georgia Southern

2B        Chris Campbell, College of Charleston

SS        Jay Heafner, Davidson

3B        Jess Easterling, College of Charleston

OF        Phillip Coker, College of Charleston

OF        Grant Rembert, Elon

OF        Steven Strausbaugh, Western Carolina

DH        Taylor Shoop, Davidson

Preseason All-SoCon Baseball Second Team

P          Nick Chigges, College of Charleston

P          Ryan Owens, The Citadel

P          Ryan Hodinka, Furman

RP        Jay Heafner, Davidson

C          Drew Davis, Elon

1B        Case Cassedy, Furman

2B        Brett Pelfrey, Georgia Southern

SS        A.J. Davidiuk, Furman

3B        Shane Kirkley, Wofford

OF        Chris Price, Elon

OF        Andrew Greene, Furman

OF        Barrett Shaft, Western Carolina

DH        Matt Kirkpatrick, College of Charleston

Preseason Player of the Year

Jay Heafner, Davidson

Preseason Pitcher of the Year

Everett Teaford, Georgia Southern