June 15, 2004

Columbia, S.C. – Three members of the University of South Carolina baseball team have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-America Team. Senior catcher Landon Powell was named to the first team, junior right-handed pitcher Chad Blackwell earned second team honors and junior right-handed pitcher Aaron Rawl was selected to the third team.

Powell, who also earned All-American honors from Sports Weekly and Collegiate Baseball, is a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award (best catcher) as well as a finalist for the Howser Award (nation’s top player). The senior catcher is batting .332 with 19 HR and 65 RBI. Powell has allowed just 24 stolen bases this season and owns a .997 fielding percentage behind the plate with just two errors. He is one of four players on the South Carolina team this season to start all 65 games for the Gamecocks.

Blackwell has now been selected for two All-America teams with Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. The junior closer leads the nation in saves with 19 and is just two behind the single-season USC record of 21 set by Blake Taylor in the 2002 season. Blackwell has a 4-3 record with a 2.79 ERA and 74 strikeouts with just 13 walks allowed in 58 innings pitched.

This is Rawl’s first time earning All-American honors. Rawl was 12-4 with a 4.29 ERA and leads the team in innings pitched with 115 2/3 and 93 strikeouts with just 16 walks allowed.

SOUTH CAROLINA ALL-AMERICANS
UNDER HEAD COACH Ray Tanner
2004 – Chad Blackwell (RHP/RP), Landon Powell (C), Aaron Rawl (RHP/SP)
2003 – Brian Buscher (3B), David Marchbanks (LHP/SP)
2002 – Drew Meyer (SS), Yaron Peters (1B), Blake Taylor (RHP/RP)
2001 – Lee Gronkiewicz (RHP/RP), Tim Whittaker (C)
2000 – Scott Barber (RHP/RP), Peter Bauer (RHP/SP) Kip Bouknight (RHP/SP)
1999 – Brian Roberts (SS)
1998 – Ryan Bordenick (C), Kip Bouknight (RHP/SP), Mike Curry (OF), Adam Everett (SS)
1997 – Ryan Bordenick (C)