June 24, 2008

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Former Carson-Newman outfielder Nick Achberger signed a professional baseball contract with the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League late last week.

"Signing with a pro team has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. So far, it has been a great experience, getting to play with guys from all over." Nick Achberger

The Anderson, South Carolina native was a first-team selection on the 2008 NCAA ABCA/Rawlings All-Region team, after batting .402 with 12 home runs and 70 RBIs for the Eagles this past season.

"We are very excited about Nick getting an opportunity to play in the Frontier League," said Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin. "He worked very hard each year in our program and he is being justly rewarded with this opportunity to play professional baseball."

Achberger made his first start for the Kings last Friday and went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 7-6 loss to the Midwest Sliders. He played in two more games over the weekend and is batting .250 with a pair of runs batted in.

"The playing atmosphere is amazing," said Achberger. "Playing in front of 4,000 people and getting a hit in my first at-bat was an experience I will never forget."

Achberger played left field for the Eagles in '08, but will see time on the infield for the Kings and Griffin said he may even get a look as a catcher due to his tremendous arm strength.

"Nick will do well because he can play several positions on the field," Griffin noted. "He is willing to work on his own to make improvements or adjustments."

Achberger was a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference performer at Carson-Newman, and was named the 2007 SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading the Eagles to the championship. He joins a long list of former Carson-Newman players who have went on to play in the Frontier League, including: Shap Stiles, Matt Huskey, Ryan West, Chad Gillies, Brian Chapman, Nathan Gravley, and T.J. Graves.

The Frontier League is comprised of 12 independent professional teams from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

Kalamazoo, a city of about 70,000, is located in the southwest corner of Michigan's lower peninsula. The Kings play their home games at Homer Stryker Field.