Trojans among ABCA picks

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 5, 2009 1:46 PM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College utility player Alex Vertcnik has been named to the 2009 American Baseball Coaches Association Division II preseason All-American team.

Teammates Rich Racobaldo and Will Rodriguez were picked on the "players to watch" and "newcomers to watch" lists, respectively.

Vertcnik, a senior catcher/outfielder, received third-team All-America honors last year. The Wisconsin native became the first-ever Trojan student-athlete to earn all-tournament honors in Conference Carolinas play, the South Atlantic Regional and the Division II College World Series.

Racobaldo is a senior infielder from New Jersey and was named the South Atlantic Regional MVP a year ago.

Rodriguez, a JUCO transfer, batted .455 with a double and an RBI in the Trojans' season-opening, three-game series at Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) University.

Mount Olive, ranked No. 1 in the ABCA preseason poll, returns to the diamond Saturday at in-state opponent Lenoir-Rhyne. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single contest Sunday. First pitch for all three contests is 1 p.m.