May 21, 2003

Charleston, SC - Chip Cannon, Chris Ard, Brook Dantzler and Matt Hamer received All-Southern Conference honors, the league announced today, May 21. Cannon and Ard were named first-team by the coaches, while seniors Dantzler and Hamer were named second-team.

Sophomore third baseman, Ard, led the Bulldogs hitting a .401 in 217 at bats. His 49 runs and 44 RBI ranked second on the team. Earlier in the season he had a 27-game hit streak that includes 18 multi-hit games. The 27-game streak fell one short of tying the all-time record of 28 consecutive games with a hit.

Cannon, a junior first baseman, hit .332 with a team-high 59 RBI and 12 homeruns. His 23 career homeruns place him in a tie for fifth on the Bulldogs all-time career list. He led the team in runs (50), doubles (15), and total bases (123).

Senior right fielder, Dantzler, played in all 55 games this year while hitting .356 in 205 at bats and he tied for second on the team with 14 doubles. In the second game of the College of Charleston series, Dantzler drew four HBPs, which tied the NCAA single-game record held by many.

Hamer, a senior pitcher from Georgetown, ranked second on The Citadel's all-time career appearances list as he added 26 this season. Used mainly in relief, Hamer struck out 45 batters and clenched 5 wins. He was also named to the 2003 All-Southern Conference Preseason Team.

The coaches selected Western Carolina's Alan Beck as the Player of the Year and Furman's Tom Mastny as its Pitcher of the Year. Virginia Military Institute head coach Tom Slater was the Coach of the Year and VMI third baseman Kelly Sweppenhiser was the SoCon Freshman of the Year.

The rest of the All-Southern Conference Coaches team follows:

First TeamP Tom Mastny, FurmanP Jarrett Santos, UNC GreensboroRelief David Mitchell, FurmanC Matt Lauderdale, Coll of Charleston1B Chip Cannon, The Citadel2B Lee Curtis, Coll of CharlestonSS Andy Howdeshell, East Tennessee State3B Chris Ard, The CitadelOF Alan Beck, Western CarolinaOF Rod Goldston, Western CarolinaOF Brendan Gilligan, Georgia SouthernDH Ryan Gordon, UNC GreensboroSecond TeamP Derrick Hawk, Western CarolinaP Dennis Dove, Georgia SouthernRelief Matt Hamer, The CitadelC Derek Norman, Furman1B Todd Buchanan, Western Carolina2B Jason Sarvis, UNC GreensboroSS Wayne Kilmer, Western Carolina3B Carlos Love, Georgia SouthernOF Brett Spivey, Coll of CharlestonOF Sam Navarro, DavidsonOF Brook Dantzler, The CitadelDH Grant Burruss, Georgia Southern