By Jack Rodgers Sports Anchor/Reporter
with help from CSU Sports Information
Columbus, GA - The successful year for the Columbus State baseball team continued on Thursday as five players were chosen for the Daktronics South Atlantic Region teams. Among those five players were First-Team selections Rodney Rutherford and Korey Noles, with Noles being named as Pitcher of the Year in the South Atlantic Region.with help from CSU Sports Information
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Stumble It!CSU outfielder Jonnie Geiger, starting pitcher Danny Davidson, and C.J. Bressoud as a utility player made the Second Team. USC Aiken's Chad Jacobsen was named Player of the Year in the region.
Rutherford had a remarkable 2008 season. The Columbus, GA native, shattered the CSU single-season home run record with 26 on the year. That number also tied the PBC single-season mark and led Division II. Rutherford finished the season with a .373 batting average, a .755 slugging percentage, and 89 RBI - another new school record which eclipses the record set by CSU Hall of Famer Scott Riddle in 1986. He also set CSU records with 182 total bases and 39 extra base hits ( 26 HR, 12 2B, 1 3B).
Noles had a stellar senior campaign, posting a perfect 13-0 record with a 1.73 ERA. The left-hander finished his career by winning 18 consecutive games, dating back to the 2007 season. His last game out was a 12-strikeout performance against Belmont Abbey to open the South Atlantic Regional. His 13 wins in 2008 tied the school mark for single- season wins, matching the standard set by Tim Trawick in 1995 and Rodney Stevenson in 1996. His selection as Pitcher of the Year guarantees a spot on the Daktronics All-America team and puts him in the running for National Pitcher of the Year honors.
Geiger also had an outstanding senior year, finishing as the Cougars' top hitter with a .392 average. His 103 hits are a school record in a single season. He had 12 doubles, five homers, and 38 RBIs. He leaves the CSU program as the all-time leader in career stolen bases with 107 in his three year career, and also holds that mark in the PBC as he finished his career with 126 swipes (including the 19 in his freshman year at Armstrong Atlantic State). Davidson finished his junior season at 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA. He led the nation in strikeouts for most of the year, but finished the season tied with teammate Noles at 129 - assuring a top three finish nationally. Bressoud batted .338 with 10 home runs, seven doubles, and 42 RBIs from the catching and designated hitter position.
