MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - Junior relief pitcher Martin Dewald (Mannheim, Germany) of the Georgia College & State University baseball team was named to the American Association of Baseball Coaches (ABCA) All-Southeast Region First Team, the association announced recently.

A first team All-Peach Belt Conference (PBC) choice, Dewald had a standout first season with the Bobcats leading all region closers with 14 saves, a Georgia College record. He also went 5-3 with a 4.20 ERA in a PBC-high 30 appearances, fanning 53 hitters for a whopping 11.7 per nine innings. His saves total was good for third in the nation.

All-time, Georgia College has had 45 ABCA All-Region teams, with 28 first-team selections. Pitcher Michael Newman (2005-08) and outfielder Justin Mills (2004-07) were the most recent first-team choices in 2007. Dewald is the 10^th pitcher for Georgia College chosen to first team all-region by the ABCA.

As a first-team choice, Dewald moves on to the All-America ballot, voted on by the coaches.

The Bobcats were 37-19 in the 2009 campaign, the second under head coach Tom Carty. Georgia College finished third in the PBC, making their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons. The Bobcats wound up the season with 154 stolen bases, tying the school record set in 1985.

Visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame. The GCSU Department of Athletics sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports.

First Team

Pos.     Player                           School
1b        Daniel Kassouf        Belmont Abbey
2b        Chas Anthony               Erskine
3b        Craig Lyerly                 Catawba
SS        Rich Racobaldo            Mt. Olive
INF      Seth Kivett              UNC Pembroke
OF       Kevin Dietrich          UNC Pembroke
OF       Shannon Wilkerson  Augusta State
OF       Bryan Fogle                  Erskine
OF       Mark Letchworth          Wingate
C         Ryan Query                  Catawba
DH       Travis Howard            USC Aiken
SP        Matt McGovern        UNC Pembroke
SP        Cody Walden    Armstrong Atlantic State
SP        Nick Fogleman              Pfeiffer
SP        B.J. Dail                        Mt. Olive
RP       Martin Dewald                GCSU

Second Team

Pos.     Player                           School
1b        Ken Raborn                USC Aiken
2b        Jason Coker            UNC Pembroke
3b        Andre Airich             North Georgia
SS        Barrett Kleinknecht  Francis Marion
INF      Blair Carson                 Anderson
OF       Cody McMorris           USC Aiken
OF       Alex Wyche       Armstrong Atlantic State
OF       Greg Huff                      Erskine
OF       Nate Grabowski           Tusculum
C         Jared Barkdoll           Francis Marion
DH       Brian Williams              Mars Hill
SP        Blake Ketner               Catawba
SP        Josh Strawn          Lincoln Memorial
SP        Tyler Powell             Belmont Abbey
SP        C.J. Hillyer                   Tusculum
RP        Rob Currie                    Tusculum

Region Player of the Year: Shannon Wilkerson, Augusta State
Region Pitcher of the Year: Matt McGovern, UNC Pembroke