Chris Taylor was named the 2008 Raleigh All-Region catcher. |
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Chris Taylor and Aaron Bray Named to the Raleigh All-Regional Team
June 2, 2008
Raleigh, N.C. - Senior catcher Chris Taylor and junior third baseman Aaron Bray were named to the All-Regional team for their efforts over the weekend. The team consisted of five South Carolina Gamecocks, three N.C. State athletes and the pair of Charlotte players.
Bray hit a home run in both of Charlotte's games at the Raleigh Regional, against South Carolina and James Madison. Bray drove in the team-high five RBI in the two postseason games.
His three-run homer on Friday pulled Charlotte to within three runs in the seventh inning, at 10-7 against the Gamecocks. Saturday, his solo home run to lead off the fourth inning, put the Niners up 2-0. After the Dukes tied the game at 10 in the sixth, Bray hit a sacrifice fly to give Charlotte an 11-10 lead in the seventh.
With no career homers entering this season, Bray hit three in the regular season and another pair in the Regionals. Bray is currently seventh on the Charlotte career batting average list, at .349 in three seasons. He was a Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American and Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year in 2006, and has been the second-team third baseman for the A-10 each of the last two seasons.
Taylor had four hits and reached base seven times in the two games, scoring a team-high four runs at the Regional. He reached base in his last five plate appearances in the JMU contest, scoring twice and driving in a run in that span to get his season total to 70. He was 3-for-4 in his last collegiate game.
Taylor was selected to the Louisville Slugger/TPX All-America Third Team last Thursday and led the Atlantic 10 in home runs with 19 this season. He was the Co-Player of the Year in the A-10, earning first-team catching honors. He was the second-team designated hitter in 2007 for the league.
Charlotte finished 43-16 in 2008, winning 40-plus games in back-to-back seasons, a first for the program. Charlotte set the school record with a .333 batting average en route to back-to-back Atlantic 10 Regular Season and Tournament titles, and consecutive appearances in the NCAA Postseason.
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2008 NCAA Tournament NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
- P - Blake Cooper, University of South Carolina
- P - Clayton Shunick, NC State
- C - Chris Taylor, Charlotte
- 1B - Justin Smoak#, University of South Carolina
- 2B - Dallas Poulk, NC State
- 3B - Aaron Bray, Charlotte
- SS - Reese Havens#, University of South Carolina
- OF - DeAngelo Mack#, University of South Carolina
- OF - Matt Payne, NC State
- OF - Whit Merrifield, University of South Carolina
- Most Outstanding Player - Justin Smoak, University of South Carolina
