DIAC Places Seven on Baseball All-American List
May 23, 2003 – The American Baseball Coaches
Association and Rawlings have announced their 2003 All-Americans and
seven DIAC baseball players have been honored. Christopher
Newport's Matt Turner and Jeremy Elliot were named to the First Team.
Ferrum's Thomas Meeks and Jason Beale, Methodist's Jesus Adames and
Averett's Eddie Guessford made the Second Team. Chris Phaup of CNU
was selected for the Third Team.
Senior outfielder Turner, a Third Team All-American in 2002, earned
First Team honors. The Newport News, VA native hit .403 with 14 home
runs and 58 RBIs. Turner is climbing the nation’s all-time list for
home runs and RBIs and is fourth in the nation in RBIs per contest and
ranked in the top 15 in triples per contest. Senior outfielder
Elliott, a Mathews, VA native, is hitting .447 with 68 hits, 57 runs,
and 47 steals. Elliott is currently second in the nation in stolen
bases per game and in the top 20 in batting average. Elliott owns the
school’s career stolen bases record and is just two shy of the single
season record.
Beale batted .430 with nine doubles,
seven home runs and 38 RBI this season. He also went 9-2 on the mound
this season with 77 strikeouts and a 2.59 ERA, earning Dixie
Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Beale was a first team Dixie
All-Conference selection as both pitcher and designated hitter this
season. Meeks batted .410 with six doubles, a triple, 12 homers,
and 46 RBI. He was 7-0 on the mound, with 59 strikeouts and a 3.92
ERA. Meeks earned first team All-Conference at first base this
season, and was named to the Dixie All-Tournament team.
Adames led Methodist
offensively this season, hitting .384 with 10 home runs, 32 RBIs, 13
doubles and 48 runs scored. He led the Monarchs in batting average,
home runs and runs scored, plus 104 total bases and stolen bases with
13. Guessford led the Cougars to a DIAC Conference Tournament
Title. He batted .452 on the year and drove in 53 runs.
Phaup, a senior third baseman from Newport News, VA, is hitting
.426 with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs. Phaup
is 45th in the nation in batting average, third in RBI’s
per game, and in the top 15 in doubles per contest.