Two-year starter as Tech's center fielder and lead-off hitter....A very patient hitter with good power and speed....Very good baserunner....Outstanding defensive center fielder who can cover a lot of territory....Also saw action on the mound early in 2006 and is expected to be used as a late-inning reliever this spring....Currently stands tied for 13th in the Tech record books with 44 stolen bases. 2007: Pre-season candidate for the Brooks Wallace College Baseball Player of the Year award....NCBWA Preseason Second Team All-America. 2006: First-team All-ACC selection....Homered while driving in career-high seven runs, and made collegiate pitching debut with scoreless inning of relief 3/3 vs. Rutgers....overall, went 10-for-14 with two homers and 10 RBI during weekend series with Scarlet Knights to earn ACC Player of the Week honors for Feb. 27-March 5....sidelined by for remainder of season by injuries, particularly to right shoulder, following outfield collision with Steven Blackwood 4/28 at Boston College....did not commit an error in his 43 starts....was leading the team in hits, runs, triples, home runs, total bases and stolen bases and ranked among the Top Ten in the ACC in nine different statistical categories at the time of his injury. 2005: Second-team Freshman All-America selection by Baseball America....A fixture in center field and out of the lead-off spot in the order....hit safely in first eight games of collegiate career while batting .378 (14-for-37) during the month of February....also scored at least one run in each of the first 16 games of the campaign....turned in a 13-game hitting streak to begin March and went on to hit .342 (26-for-76) for the month....delivered game-ending RBI single to punctuate comeback victory over Florida State 4/16....also posted 10-game hitting streak from 4/3 to 4/22 only to endure 1-for-31 slump over the ensuing nine games....named to All-Tournament team for NCAA Atlanta Regional....played for Wareham Gatemen of Cape Cod Baseball League during June. High School: A four-year letterwinner for coach Dave Audia at Sequoyah High School as a center fielder and pitcher....Ranked as the No. 11 prospect in Georgia and No. 70 in the nation....Named the Cherokee County Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2002 and Pitcher of the Year in 2004....An all-state and all-district selection as a junior and senior....Owns Sequoyah career records in hits (107), batting average (.464), doubles (26), home runs (17) total bases (192), RBI (90), slugging percentage (.759), innings pitched (168), strikeouts (280), wins (16) and ERA (1.17)....Played with the East Cobb Yankees during the summer months....Named MVP of the Connie Mack World Series while leading his team to the championship....Hit. 470 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 158 at bats with the East Cobb Yankees. Personal: Daniel Alexander Payne, Jr....Born Sept. 8, 1985....Son of Dan and Kathy....Dean’s List student majoring in Business Management....2006-07 Recipient of the James R. and Lamae S. Williams Baseball Endowment.