WALESKA, Ga. -- Several members of the 2010 Reinhardt College baseball team were recently honored with postseason awards from the Appalachian Athletic Conference. In a vote of the 10 AAC head coaches, Reinhardt had three all-conference performers, two players named to the Gold Glove Team and eight all-academic selections.  

Earning a spot on the 17-member All-AAC Team were Matt Dalton, Mike Smothers and Michael Willis, who are all seniors. Dalton, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-handed pitcher from Suwanee, Ga., has made 13 appearances (all starts) this year, posting a 7-3 record and a conference-leading 1.85 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 73 innings. A 6-foot, 180-pound catcher out of Marion, Ill., Smothers is hitting .319 with team highs in walks (30), being hit by pitches (six) and on-base percentage (.477) over 38 games. Willis, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound outfielder from Villa Rica, Ga., has started all 50 contests and is batting .366 while leading the squad in at-bats (172), runs scored (45), hits (63), doubles (18), triples (four) and total bases (107).

Joining Willis on the AAC Gold Glove Team, which recognizes the conference's top defensive players, was Cory Cox, a 6-foot, 165-pound sophomore infielder out of Hayesville, N.C. Willis has had 104 chances, including four assists, this season with just four errors for a .962 fielding percentage. Cox, who took over as the Eagles' starting shortstop late in the year, has made only seven errors in 133 chances for a .947 fielding percentage.

Chosen to the AAC All-Academic Team were 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior infielder Brad Blalock (from Grayson, Ga.); 5-foot-11, 215-pound senior right-handed pitcher Matt Carter (out of Canton, Ga.); 6-foot, 165-pound junior infielder Brett Flick (from Marietta, Ga.); 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior right-handed pitcher Ben Gonglach (out of Marietta, Ga.); 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior infielder Bryan Jackson (from Los Angeles, Calif.); 5-foot-10, 155-pound junior outfielder Billy King (out of Marietta, Ga.); 6-foot, 175-pound junior right-handed pitcher Ryan McDowell (from Kennesaw, Ga.); and 6-foot-5, 190-pound junior right-handed pitcher Drew Tyson (out of Woodstock, Ga.). Reinhardt's eight honorees were the second most of any squad in the conference.

The Eagles, 27-23 overall, are presently taking part in the AAC Championship tournament in Kingsport, Tenn. The winner of that event gets an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship tournament.