ODU BASEBALL PLAYERS NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE

Old Dominion University baseball players Justin Verlander, Donnie Smith and Steven Harris were named to the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) All-Conference team as selected by the league's head coaches.

Junior righthander Verlander, of Goochland, Va., earned first-team honors with his league-leading 145 strikeouts, ranking him third in the nation. His total of strikeouts for the season is an ODU and CAA record. Verlander was selected as one of ten finalists for the Roger Clemens award, given to the nation's top collegiate pitcher.

Smith, also a junior righthander, earned second-team honors. He ranks second in the CAA with a 2.03 earned run average. A native of Portsmouth, Va., he has struck out ten or more batters three times this season, including 12 against Delaware.

Harris, from Virginia Beach, leads the Monarchs in just about every offensive category, earning him second-team honors. He is hitting .350 with 38 runs batted in and five homeruns. Harris has had 21 multi-game hits this season.