BLUFFTON, SC-USCB Head Baseball Coach Rick Sofield recently announced the winners of a team vote for three awards given out to members of the team after the Sand Sharks finished their second season with a 39-15 record and earning a trip to their first ever NAIA Regional Tournament.
 
“We had a tremendous year,” commented Sofield. “All of our players made a contribution to the success this year. We had numerous players on the All Conference team and a couple of players who should be serious candidates for the All American team as well as a finalist for a National Golden Glove award.”
 
Gabe Torres was selected as the team most valuable player for the 2010 season. Torres, a sophomore infielder from Safety Harbor, FL, led the team with a .458 batting average. He also contributed eleven doubles and had 32 runs batted in for the year. Coach Sofield on Torres, “Gabe was the one player I thought should have been on the All Conference team. His daily contribution is inspiring to all of us. I am very excited to have Gabe back for two more years.” 

Adam Miller was named the Pitcher of the Year. Miller finished the year with a 10-2 record and an earned run average of 3.73. Perhaps his best game was his last start in a 3-2 loss to Lee in the Regional Tournament as the lefthander from Savannah, GA went ten innings allowing only five hits against the team that eventually finished as the NAIA national runner-up. Coach Sofield on Miller, “Adam had a dream year. In my mind Adam should be an All-American. Slam Dunk! I sleep better knowing Adam is hopefully back for two more years.”
 
The “Spoon” award has been awarded to senior pitcher, Ryan Kroko from Marietta, GA. Kroko appeared in 18 games for the Sand Sharks pitching mainly in relief. The award, named after the late Jim Spooner, a long time coach at the University of West Florida, is given to a player, as voted by his teammates, who depicts many of the same qualities as Coach Spooner such as being selfless, a relentless worker, fierce competitor, humble, positive and caring. Coach Sofield on Kroko, “Ryan carries with him many of the same qualities as Coach Spooner. The “Spoon”award is an award that has a deeper meaning in the long run. All these elements lead to human success. Ryan Kroko will be missed, but he will always be a vision to me and our staff of what we are looking for in a player. There were a few players that could have received the “Spoon”, but none more deserving than Ryan.”