FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo baseball team had three players honored by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) recently.

Junior Austin Dubberly, a Pelham High School graduate, was named honorable mention preseason All-American as well as first team preseason All-Southeast Region. Senior Chris Ross, a Pelham High School graduate, and senior Heath Peterson were named second team preseason All-Southeast Region.

The Falcons also received votes in the preseason Southeast Region poll, finishing just four spots outside the top 10.

Dubberly was named a preseason All-American by the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), as well as preseason All-Peach Belt Conference. Last season, he was named second team All-Region by the ABCA, third team All-Region by the NCBWA and first team All-PBC.

Dubberly hit .352 with 27 runs scored, nine doubles and 25 RBI. He had a .409 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage. He was 5-of-7 in stolen bases and won the Montevallo Gold Glove Award at the end of the season. He was one of the top hitting second baseman in the region and was also a standout in the field. He missed the last nine games of the season due to injury but put up tremendous numbers despite the missed playing time.

Ross was named second team All-Region by the ABCA, co-Most Valuable Player of the Montevallo baseball team as well as second team All-PBC in 2011.

Ross hit .405 on the season with 39 runs scored, 16 doubles, one triple and two homeruns. He drove in 19 runs while going 12-of-19 in stolen bases. He had a .557 slugging percentage and a .503 on-base percentage. He led the team in batting average, hits, doubles, walks, on-base percentage and was tied for the lead in stolen bases. He was second in runs scored. In the conference, Ross ranked first in on-base percentage and batting average and seventh in doubles and slugging percentage.

Peterson was named a preseason Player to Watch by the ABCA and preseason All-PBC earlier this year. Last season, he was named co-MVP of the Montevallo baseball team as well as second team All-PBC.

Peterson committed just two errors all season out of 408 chances. He had a stellar .995 fielding percentage. He hit .364 on the year with 40 runs scored, 14 doubles, two triples and eight homeruns. He drove in 40 runs as well. He had a .607 slugging percentage and a .425 on-base percentage. He was 12-of-16 in stolen bases. He led the team in runs scored, RBIs, slugging percentage and was tied for the lead in stolen bases. He ranked second on the team in batting average, hits, doubles, triples and homeruns. In the conference Peterson ranked third in slugging percentage, tied for sixth in homeruns and was eighth in batting average.

Dubberly, Ross, Peterson and the rest of the Falcons open the season this Friday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. as they host the University of Alabama in Huntsville.