The University of Akron Athletics
Davidson, McNulty Named to Rivals.com Preseason Team
December 13 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio – University of Akron seniors
Kurt
Davidson (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) and Doug
McNulty (Homer City, Pa./Homer-Center) were named to the
baseball preseason All-Mid-American Conference team by Rivals.com Thursday.
Davidson, who enters the season as the Zips' all-time home run
leader, was a first-team all-conference selection following his
junior season last spring in a vote by league coaches while
McNulty, who finished sixth in the MAC with a career-high .356
batting average, was named to the second team.
Davidson broke the school's home run record with his 29th career
round-tripper against Ohio University on May 6th at Lee Jackson
Field. The historic accomplishment capped off another big year for
Davidson, who hit safely in all but eight games and reached base in
all but four.
Overall, the third-year catcher and second team all-league
selection in 2006 hit .325 (19th in the MAC) and was among the
league leaders in hits (1.36.game, 6th), home runs (.21/game, 2nd),
doubles (.32/game, 4th), RBI (.94/game, t-4th), total bases
(2.32/game, 4th) and slugging percentage (.553/6th). His 40 runs
scored and 10 home runs paced the Zips. Davidson, who won a summer
league championship in the Virginia Valley League last summer, was
rated the top catching prospect in the conference in Baseball
America's college preview edition last January.
McNulty enjoyed a breakout season for the Zips in leading the team
in batting average, at-bats (180), triples (4), RBI (36), stolen
bases (11) and multiple-hit games (23). The first baseman was at
his best when the pressure was on with a team-leading .360 batting
average in conference play and a pair of game-winners to his
credit, including a walk-off single in a 7-6 decision over Northern
Iowa on March 9.
McNulty hit safely in 15 of the first 16 games of the season and
batted .400 or better through the first 11, spanning nearly a
month. He posted three hits or more on five occasions, including a
four-hit performance at Bowling Green on April 21. McNulty finished
the season with a 10-game hitting streak and homered in three of
the final seven contests of the year.
As a team, Akron
(23-24) posted an eight-game improvement in the win column this
past spring in Pat Bangtson's second season at the helm.
The Zips, who return 20 letterwinners from last year's club, will
open the 2008 campaign against West Virginia in Winston-Salem, N.C.
on Feb. 22.
Rivals.com Preseason All-MAC Team
C - Kurt Davidson, Akron
1B - Doug McNulty, Akron
2B - Zach Gentile, Western Michigan
3B - Jordin Hood, Northern Illinois
SS - Jordan Petraitis, Miami
OF - Tyler Stovall, Central Michigan
OF - Marc Krauss, Ohio
OF - Anthony Gallas, Kent State
DH - Greg Rohan, Kent State
SP - Dan Taylor, Central Michigan
SP - Sean Hoffman, Eastern Michigan
SP - Matt Shoemaker, Eastern Michigan
