GUILFORD’S KYLE WOODEN EARNS ALL-STATE BASEBALL HONORS
Greensboro, N.C. –* Guilford College senior *Kyle Wooden
(Stillwell, Kan./Sun Valley (N.C.)) *earned College Division All-State
baseball recognition from the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information
Association (NCCSIA) Wednesday. The squad consists of NCAA Division II, NCAA
Division III and NAIA student-athletes from North Carolina colleges and
universities. North Carolina sports information directors submitted nominees
and NCCSIA members selected the team for the eighth straight year.
*Wooden *joins
*Rob Bittner ’06* as the Quakers’ lone two-time all-state baseball honorees.
The announcement marks one more laurel for *Wooden*, who was
named a second-team All-American by D3baseball.com and an All-South Region
pick by the American Baseball Coaches Association in May.* *A 6-5, 250-pound
first baseman, *Wooden *stands third in NCAA Division III with a
league-leading .467 batting average through games of May 31. He captured the
Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s (ODAC) Player of the Year Award in April
and made the First Team All-ODAC squad. His .525 on-base percentage led the
conference and his 63 hits stood second. *Wooden *matched Guilford’s school
standard with 17 doubles this season, which helped him to 17th place among
Division III leaders with 0.49 doubles per game. He also led the Quakers in
hits, runs batted in (29), on-base percentage and slugging percentage
(.637). Wooden, the 11th-toughest Division III hitter to strike out in 2011,
also scored 32 runs and hit two homers.**
Guilford’s 20th First Team All-ODAC pick, *Wooden *paced the
Quakers with seven multiple-RBI games and recorded 21 contests with at least
two hits. He enjoyed a 16-game hitting streak during the year and captured
ODAC Player of the Week honors Mar. 14. *Wooden *was five-for-five with four
runs and four RBIs in a Mar. 12 victory at league-rival Hampden-Sydney
College.
A two-time All-ODAC selection, *Wooden* is the Quakers’ career
leader in batting average (.436 in 115 games) and slugging percentage
(.699). He set the Guilford standard with a .514 batting average in 2009
that led all NCAA divisions and helped him to All-America and all-state
recognition. *Wooden *stands fourth in Guilford history with 45 doubles and
fifth with 20 home runs. He received Guilford’s Male Athlete of the Year and
the Nereus C. English Athletic Leadership awards in his senior season.
*Wooden *helped sixth-year head coach *Nick Black’s ’02* club to
a 16-24 record and its first ODAC Tournament berth since 2006. The Quakers
may return as many as 26 letter winners next season.