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February 6, 2006


Ferrum Picked to Win 2006 USA South Baseball Title
Panthers Set to Open Season Feb. 15 at Home

FERRUM, Va.  –  The Ferrum College baseball team has been picked to win the 2006 USA South Athletic Conference title.  Voting was conducted by the NCAA Division III league's head baseball coaches.

The Panthers won the 2005 USA South Tournament, and advanced to the championship game of the Salisbury Regional.  Coach Abe Naff's team closed out the season with a 23-14-1 record.

Ferrum is picked to win the league crown this season over Methodist College.  Naff's squad garnered 33 points, including four first-place votes, while Methodist had 31 points and two first-place votes.  Christopher Newport University is picked to finish third with 29 points and one first-place vote.

Ferrum has won eight USA South (Dixie) titles.  The Panthers won or shared regular season titles in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004, and won the 2005 USA South Tournament.  The Panthers have advanced to NCAA post-season play nine times, from 1988-94, 1996, and 2005.

The 2006 season will be Naff's 22nd season as Ferrum's head baseball coach.  Naff has compiled a 583-208-2 career coaching mark, ranking him among the top five in active winningest NCAA Division III baseball coaches.  Naff is joined in 2006 by Associate Head Coach & Pitching Coach Darren Hodges, now in his seventh year with the staff, and Assistant Coach and Head JV Coach Barry Shelton, now in his third season at Ferrum.

Ferrum opens the 2006 season Feb. 15 at home against King (Tenn.) College at 2 p.m.  The Panthers will then entertain Virginia Intermont College Feb. 18 at 1 p.m., before traveling to Guilford College Feb. 19 for a 2 p.m. contest.  All three dates will feature one 9-inning non-conference game.  The USA South Tournament will be played April 12th - 15th in Burlington, N.C. at the Burlington Athletic Stadium.
 

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