2101 6th Avenue North, Suite 700 • Birmingham, AL 35203 • Phone: (205) 251-7573 • Fax: (205) 297-9820 • www.swac.org

For Immediate Release Contact: Tom Galbraith • Assistant Commissioner for Communications February 21, 2011 [email protected] • (205) 241-3468

SWAC Preseason Baseball Teams / Predicted Order of Finish Announced

Birmingham, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced today its 2011 preseason all-SWAC baseball teams, along with the league’s predicted order of finish as selected by the head coaches and sports information directors from the 10 member institutions.

Southern University first baseman Frazier Hall earned preseason Player of the Year honors. Hall is the 2010 SWAC Player of the Year and batted .387 with 49 RBI, 16 doubles and 8 home runs a year ago. Hall also compiled a .637 slugging percentage and scored 49 runs in 2010.

Jackson State University starter Quntavious Drains earned preseason of the Year honors. Drains finished 2010 with a 13-4 record and a 4.85 ERA. He led the league in with 93 in 117.0 .

Preseason Player of the Year Frazier Hall, Southern (6-3, 225, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.) Preseason Pitcher of the Year Quintavious Drains, Jackson State (6-2, 195, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.)

2011 SWAC Preseason First Team • Quintavious Drains, Jackson State (6-2, 195, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.) Adrian Turner, Grambling (6-1, 205, Sr., Kenosha, Wisc.) • Terrance Washington, Jackson State (6-1, 200, Sr., Hollandale, Miss.) • Catcher B.J. McDonley, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-1, 205, Sr., Pine Bluff, Ark.) • First Base Frazier Hall, Southern (6-3, 225, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.) • Second Base Michael Norris, Texas Southern (5-5, 175, Sr., Vacaville, Calif.) • Shortstop Ray Hernandez, Texas Southern (5-10, 180, Jr., Houston, Texas) • Third Base Rodney Warren, Alcorn State (6-0, 245, Sr., Meridian, Miss.) • Outfield Kilby Perdomo, Alcorn State (6-2, 220, Sr., Santo Domingo, D.R.) Brandon Mikell, Texas Southern (5-10, 170, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.) Charles Epperson, Jackson State (6-2, 198, So., Minneapolis, Minn.) • Designated Hitter Terrel Jones, Texas Southern (6-1, 190, Jr., Tupelo, Miss.)

2011 SWAC Preseason Second Team • Starting Pitcher Bryan Smith, Texas Southern (5-10, 180, Sr., Houston, Texas) Steve Easter, Alcorn State (6-0, 230, Jr., Westchester, Ill.) • Relief Pitcher Dakota Laufenberg, Texas Southern (6-0, 170, Sr., Pleasanton, Calif.) • Catcher Andrew Garza, Texas Southern (5-9, 185, So., Houston, Texas) • First Base Eduardo Gonzalez, Alcorn State (6-3, 210, Jr., Lutz, Fla.) • Second Base Demario Ellis, Southern (5-10, 170, Sr., Pasadena, Calif.) • Shortstop Jerry Hildreth, Mississippi Valley State (5-6, 160, Sr., Johnston, Colo.) • Third Base Willie Wesley, Jackson State (5-10, 188, Sr., Pontiac, Mich.) • Outfield Kejuan Riley, Alabama State (6-3, 205, So., Wetumpka, Ala.) Luke Walker, Mississippi Valley State (5-11, 167, Sr., Collinsville, Miss.) Ken Rowan, Alcorn State (6-0, 180, Sr., Jackson, Miss.) • Designated Hitter Malcolm Tate, Jackson State (5-9, 200, So., Carthage, Miss.)

2011 SWAC Predicted Order of Finish

Western Division 1. Southern Jaguars – 82 votes (10 first-place votes) 2. Texas Southern Tigers – 78 votes (7) 3. Grambling State Tigers – 44 votes (2) 4. Prairie View A&M Panthers – 37 votes (1) 5. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions – 31 votes

Eastern Division 1. Jackson State Tigers – 80 votes (11) 2. Alcorn State Braves – 71 votes (5) 3. Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils – 55 votes (2) 4. Alabama State Hornets – 38 votes (2) 5. Alabama A&M Bulldogs – 26 votes

Alabama A&M University • Alabama State University • Alcorn State University • Grambling State University • Jackson State University Mississippi Valley State University • Prairie View A&M University • Southern University • Texas Southern University • University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff