March 23, 2010

LUBBOCK, Texas – Coastal Carolina University juniors Matt Rein (Houston, Texas/Langham Creek) and Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) have been named to the College Baseball Foundation’s initial Pitcher of the Year Watch List, it was announced by the organization today (March 23).

Rein sports a perfect 3-0 record with a 0.87 earned-run average in six appearances this season for the Chanticleers.  He is second in the Big South in ERA and is holding opposing batters to a .183 batting average.  Rein earned wins in his first three appearances, including pitching six innings of relief in a win over fourth-ranked UC Irvine Feb. 27.  He struck out three in three innings of work in a win over Ball State March 7 and picked up the save March 14 against Michigan, the first of his career.  Rein is a perfect 8-0 in his Coastal career with a 3.33 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched.

Wheeler also is 3-0 with a 4.36 ERA for the Chants in 2010.  He leads the team with 32 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched and had a career-high 12 punchouts in the win at Charleston Southern March 19.  Wheeler pitched 7.2 innings with five strikeouts in a win over fourth-ranked UC Irvine Feb. 27 and allowed just three hits in six innings of work Feb. 20 against West Virginia.  Wheeler is 19-1 with 195 strikeouts in 190.1 innings pitched.  He also has been named the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year, a preseason All-American by Louisville Slugger and the NCBWA and was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List.

Rein and Wheeler are two of 49 pitchers on the list.  Coastal also is one of 11 schools to have multiple pitchers named to the watch list.

The Pitcher of the Year Award will be presented in Lubbock, Texas, on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.

Coastal Carolina ends its four-game road trip Tuesday, March 23 at The Citadel.  First pitch is at 6 p.m., at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.