ORLANDO—Third baseman Yan Gomes was named Player of the Year and head coach Marc Pavao earned his first Coach of the Year award as the conference champion Barry Buccaneers placed eight players on the 2009 All-Sunshine State Conference baseball team.
A senior from Miami, Gomes batted .408 and led the league with 86 RBI. His batting average ranked fourth in the SSC, and he was third with 67 runs scored. Gomes' 19 home runs were second most in the conference, and his .765 slugging percentage was third. The third baseman ranked eighth with a .485 on-base percentage and tied for eight with 17 doubles.
Currently in his fourth season as head coach at Barry, Pavao wins his first Coach of the Year award after leading the Buccaneers to the first SSC baseball title in school history. Currently ranked No. 3 in the nation, the team has amassed a 44-9 overall record, setting a new program mark for wins in a season. Pavao's Bucs have fielded the most explosive offense in the conference, leading the SSC in nearly every team offensive statistical category. The squad's 551 runs are 105 more than the next closest SSC team, and their 506 RBI eclipse the next closest club by 100. Additionally, the Buccaneer pitching staff led the conference with a 3.79 ERA. Seeded No. 2 heading into today's NCAA DII South Region Baseball Championship, Pavao has guided the squad to its first postseason appearance since 1998.
Joining Gomes on the first team were shortstop Nick Shaw, right fielder Yas Gutierrez and starting pitcher Charley Short. First baseman Yudelmis Hernandez, starting pitcher Brad McAllister and utility player Danny Lima made the second team, while relief pitcher Scott Sexton was honorable mention.
Shaw has set career highs in runs scored (64), doubles (17), homers (4), RBI (39) and slugging percentage (.517). Additionally, he has committed only nine errors, a career-low, while making 155 assists, a career-high.
Short has been the foundation of the rotation this season, leading the team with an 11-2 record and 75 innings pitched. He has tied the mark of 11 wins in a season set by Oscar Farach in 2001, while posting a 2.88 ERA, second on the team.
Gutierrez is third on the team in homers with 15 and has set a school-record with 70 runs scored. He is batting .382 with 56 RBI.
Hernandez leads the team with a school-record 21 homers and 18 doubles, as the Bucs lead the nation in home runs per game (105 in 53 games). He has driven in 78 and set school records with 39 extra base hits and a .798 slugging percentage. He is batting .367 and has 59 runs scored.
Lima has set a school-record with 89 base hits, hitting .398 with 64 runs, 42 RBI and six homers. He also leads the team with four triples and 14 stolen bases.
McAllister is 9-0 with a 3.41 ERA in 66 innings. He leads the team with three complete games and is fourth in the nation in walks per game, issuing just nine free passes.
Sexton went 3-1 with one save in 21 appearances. In 32.1 innings, he walked just 12 while striking out 30 with a 2.23 ERA.
FIRST TEAM
1B - Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg (Nova Southeastern, Jr.)
2B - Wade Kirkland (Florida Southern, So.)
3B - Yan Gomes (Barry, Jr.)
SS - Nick Shaw (Barry, Jr.)
OF - Bryan Bennett (Rollins, Sr.)
OF - Will Cherry (Florida Southern, Sr.)
OF - Yas Gutierrez (Barry, Jr.)
C - Kevin Villa (Florida Tech, Sr.)
SP - Max Russell (Florida Southern, So.)
SP - Charley Short (Barry, Jr.)
SP - Dan Wright (Lynn, Jr.)
RP - Alex Koronis (Tampa, Jr.)
DH - Douglas Toro (Lynn, Sr.)
UT - Jared Simon (Tampa, So.)
Player of the Year - Yan Gomes, Barry
Pitcher of the Year - Dan Wright, Lynn
Coach of the Year - Marc Pavao, Barry
Freshman of the Year - Dustin Brown, Saint Leo
SECOND TEAM
1B - Yudelmis Hernandez (Barry, Sr.)
2B - Correy Figueroa (Tampa, Jr.)
3B - Mike Sinicola (Eckerd, Sr.)
SS - Casey Albanese (Tampa, Sr.)
SS - Robbie Shields (Florida Southern, Jr.)
OF - Trae Gore (Florida Southern, Jr.)
OF - Kyle Hobbs (Saint Leo, Sr.)
OF - J.D. Martinez (Nova Southeastern, Jr.)
C - Zach Maggard (Florida Southern, So.)
SP - Michael Fiers (Nova Southeastern, Sr.)
SP - Brad McAllister (Barry, Fr.)
SP - Miles Mikolas (Nova Southeastern, Jr.)
RP - Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern, So.)
DH - Mike Schwartz (Tampa, Jr.)
UT - Danny Lima (Barry, Sr.)
HONORABLE MENTION
OF - Dustin Brown (Saint Leo, Fr.)
SP - Tim Griffin (Rollins, Jr.)
RP - Scott Sexton (Barry, Jr.)
