The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TEVIN Symonette was one of several Lipscomb University Bisons players honoured on Senior Day.

The Bisons split a double header Sunday against the North Florida Osprey at Dugan Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

In game one, Symonette went 2-4, with one home run and one double, drove in two RBI and scored one run in the 8-4 loss. He went hitless in game two, but the Bisons split the afternoon with a 1-0 win. Lipscomb won two of the three-game series. Symonette, a 6’1” outfielder, went 1-3 in a 1-0 win on Friday night.

The Grand Bahama native came into the game as the reigning Atlantic Sun Player of the Week after he was a key component in the Bisons’ sweep over Stetson last week. He hit .500 with three home runs and four RBI during the series, as well as recording double-digit putouts in the outfield with some spectacular diving catches.

Symonette homered in each of the three games and his solo shot in the series finale proved to be the difference in a 3-2 victory.

He currently leads the Bisons with six home runs, tied for the team lead with 11 doubles and is second on the team with 11 stolen bases.

As the regular season winds down, Lipscomb will travel to Lynchburg, Virginia, for a conference series against Liberty this weekend and will conclude with a three-game series the following weekend against North Alabama. Symonette started 36 of his 37 appearances this season. He is hitting .270 with a .376 OBP and a team leading .516 slugging percentage. He has also totalled 34 hits, one triple, with 26 RBI and 22 runs scored.

Last year, Symonette started all 43 of his appearances. He collected 31 hits in 152 at-bats for a .204 batting average. He also recorded four doubles, three home runs, drove in 22 RBI and scored 17 runs.

He was a perfect 11-11 in stolen base attempts which was the third most on the team. He also drew 14 walks leading to a .275 OBP.

As a redshirt freshman, Symonette started in 49 of his 50 appearances and hit .304 with 56 hits. He also posted a .500 slugging percentage with eight doubles, two triples, 29 runs and 37 RBI. He also had a .389 on-base percentage, stole four bases in seven attempts. In his first collegiate season, he led the team with eight home runs, finished second on the team with 17 multiple-hit games and added 10 multiple-RBI games. He tied for the team high with a 10-game hitting streak and had a career high 4-hit game against USC Upstate.

His highlight of the year came in the postseason when his heroics lead his Bisons past the No.3 ranked Jacksonville University Dolphins 10-8 in the opening round of the Atlantic Sun tournament.

Symonette hit two home runs, went 3-5 at the plate and finished with two runs and three RBI on the night.

Symonette finished his high school career in the United States with Christian Home and Bible School in Florida. In 2014, Perfect Game ranked Symonette as the 229th best player overall and the 49th best outfielder in the nation, the 45th best player in the state of Florida and the 9th best outfielder in the state.

He was awarded the Rising Star Award as a freshman and CO-MVP award as a sophomore and joined the Orlando Baseball Academy in 2011.

The versatile Symonette was also a two-year letter winner in football and led the team in rushing with 103 carries for 689 yards with six touchdowns while recording 53 tackles during his sophomore season.

Some of his other accolades include a two time Perfect Game USA Underclassmen Preseason All-American Team Honourable Mention, rated a “Tier A” player at the 2012 Baseball Factory at the Sanford National Tryout, and was named to “Perfect Game Florida” Qualifiers All-Tournament Team.