Bama Baseball Ranked in Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll
12/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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The University of Alabama baseball team has been ranked 35th the 2004 Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s Fabulous 40 pre-season NCAA Division I baseball poll.
The defending national champion Rice Owls and the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes are deadlocked at the top of the pre-season poll, which was released Friday morning.
Never in the history of the "Collegiate Baseball" poll, which dates back to 1959, have two teams been tied in the pre-season poll for the top spot in the nation.
Alabama (38-24) returns everyday players Zac Welch (Jr., 1B, .333, 4 HR, 49 RBI), Allen Rice (Jr., 2B, .260, 7 HR, 40 RBI) and Charlie Lyons (So., C, .270, HR, 13 RBI) off last year’s team that captured its second straight SEC Tournament Championship and played in an NCAA Regional for the eighth time in nine years under Coach Jim Wells, who celebrates his 10th anniversary in Tuscaloosa this spring. Senior Carlos Sosa (3B, 2002 Stats), who missed the entire 2003 season with a torn ACL, returns for his final season after starting most of the 2002 season for the Crimson Tide.
The Crimson Tide must also replace four of its top offensive players from last year’s squad, including Beau Hearod (62 G, 346, 20 HR, 82 RBI), who led the SEC in home runs and RBI last year as a senior. Alabama will also be looking to replace leadoff hitter and starting center fielder Travis Garner (60 G, .335, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 19-24 SB), starting shortstop Adam Pavkovich (62 G, 338, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 27 2Bs) and designated hitter Al Hecklinski (56 G, .301, 11 HR and 49 RBI).
Alabama also returns an abundance of experience on the mound, beginning with preseason All-American left-hander Brent Carter (19 G, 16 GS, 10-5, 3.30 ERA, 122.2 IP, 105 K). Carter was named a third-team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Friday, his second preseason award.
In November, Carter was tabbed a second-team preseason All-American selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA).
Last year, Carter set single-season sophomore school records in wins (10), innings pitched (122.2 IP) and strikeouts (105). He was second in the league in innings pitched and strikeouts and ranked third in wins. In SEC games only, Carter led the league in innings pitched (77) and ranked third in wins (6) and strikeouts (68).
Also returning on the mound are left-handers Taylor Tankersley (Jr., 20 G, 14 GS, 7-5, 5.88 ERA, 90.1 IP, 97 K) and Jeffrey Norris (Sr., 19 G, 11 GS, 6-2, 5.32 ERA) and right-handers Seth Johnson (Sr., 21 G, 10 GS, 7-6, 4.71 ERA, 78.1 IP, 82 K) and Allen Ponder (So., 13 G, 2 GS, 2-3, 5.74 ERA).
Rice (58-12 last season) returns what many consider to be one of the best pitching staffs in the history of college baseball with three first team Louisville Slugger pre-season All-Americans in RHP Jeff Niemann (17-0, 1.70 ERA, 156 K, 35 BB), RHP Wade Townsend (11-2, 2.20 ERA, 164 K, 46 BB) and RHP Philip Humber (11-3, 3.30 ERA, 138 K, 39 BB). All three are expected to be first round draft picks in next June's Free Agent Draft.
Miami finished fifth in the nation at the College World Series and rolled to a 45-17-1 overall record last season. The Hurricanes return every starting position player from a year ago in addition to every starting pitcher and every key member of the bullpen.
Headliners include Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American SS Ryan Braun (.364, 17 HR, 16 2B, 76 RBI, 13 SB), All-American LHP J.D. Cockroft (11-3,2.72 ERA, 94 K, 35 BB) and former All-American closer RHP George Huguet (7 SV, 2.36 ERA), plus a host of quality, quality ball players.
As far as pitching, Miami returns three superb starters in Cockroft, LHP Brandon Camardese (9-2, 5.01 ERA), RHP Vince Bongiovanni (8-4, 4.00 ERA) and quality relief specialists in RHP Huguet and RHP Shawn Valdes-Fauli (5 SV, 5-0, 3.02 ERA).
On offense, the team has a nice blend of power (70 HRs last season) and gap power (134 doubles) along with speed (122 stolen bases). As far as defense, Miami was second in the nation in double plays (72 in 63 games).
The "Collegiate Baseball" Newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll (Dec. 19, 2003)
Rank, School ('03 Final Record) Points Final '03 Rank
1. Rice (58-12) 495 1
Miami, Fla. (45-17-1) 495 5
3. Louisiana St. (45-22-1) 491 7
4. Georgia Tech. (44-18) 489 14
5. Texas (50-20) 486 4
6. Stanford (51-18) 484 2
7. Arizona St. (54-14) 481 10
8. Cal. St. Fullerton (50-16) 477 3
9. Wichita St. (49-27) 475 NR
10. Notre Dame (45-18) 470 28
11. Baylor (45-23) 468 13
12. Long Beach St. (41-20) 464 11
13. Tulane (44-19) 462 NR
14. South Carolina (45-22) 458 6
15. Florida (37-21-1) 457 NR
16. Southern California (28-28) 456 NR
17. Clemson (39-22) 450 NR
18. Auburn (42-21) 449 20
19. Florida Atlantic (47-16) 446 23
20. Nebraska (47-18) 445 15
21. North Carolina (42-23) 443 19
22. Arizona (35-23) 441 NR
23. Washington (42-18) 438 27
24. Florida St. (54-13-1) 437 9
25. Minnesota (40-22) 432 NR
26. Nevada-Las Vegas (47-17) 430 26
27. Mississippi (35-27) 424 NR
28. Winthrop (35-22) 416 NR
29. North Carolina St. (45-18) 411 12
30. Mississippi St. (42-20-1) 408 24
31. Ohio St. (44-21) 406 18
32. Texas A&M (45-19) 403 17
33. Oklahoma St. (34-24) 398 NR
34. U.C. Riverside (41-17) 395 30
35. Alabama (28-24) 392 NR
36. Va. Commonwealth (46-13) 390 NR
37. Southern Miss. (47-16) 386 25
38. Tennessee (31-24) 380 NR
39. San Diego (32-30) 378 NR
40. Stetson (41-24) 375 NR
2004 "LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAMS
The 2004 Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American baseball teams, selected by "Collegiate Baseball" newspaper, features a who's who of NCAA Division I baseball players.
The pre-season pick as National Player of The Year is 6-foot-9, 270-pound RHP Jeff Niemann of Rice University. Many scouts feel he will be the first college player taken in next June's Free Agent Draft.
Last season for the Owls, he led the nation with a perfect 17-0 record and posted 156 strikeouts in 137 1/3 innings with only 35 walks. In addition, he had a superb ERA of 1.70 in 22 appearances as opponents hit only .196 against him.
The three All-American teams include (with partial statistics from last season for first team members):
FIRST TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Jeff Niemann, Rice (17-0, 1.70 ERA, 156 K, 35 BB)
RHP Jered Weaver, Long Beach St. (14-4, 1.96 ERA, 144 K, 20 BB)
LHP Jeremy Sowers, Vanderbilt (7-5, 2.50 ERA, 123 K, 29 BB)
RHP Wade Townsend, Rice (11-2, 2.20 ERA, 164 K, 46 BB)
RHP Philip Humber, Rice (11-3, 3.30 ERA, 138 K, 39 BB)
RHP Vern Sterry, North Carolina St. (11-0, 3.25 ERA, 124 K, 39 BB)
Relief Huston Street, Texas (15 SV, 8-1, 1.33 ERA, 69 K, 13 BB)
C Landon Powell, South Carolina (Great defense, .339, 10 HR, 23 2B, 61 RBI)
1B Billy Becher, New Mexico St. (.420, 32 HR, 16 2B, 118 RBI)
2B Steve Sollmann, Notre Dame (.384, 16 2B, 38 SB)
3B Michael Griffin, Baylor (.350, 11 HR, 26 2B, 76 RBI)
SS Dustin Pedroia, Arizona St. (Great defense, .404, 34 2B, 52 RBI)
OF Jeff Larish, Arizona St. (.372, 18 HR, 18 2B, 95 RBI)
OF Jordan Foster, Lamar (.417, 29 2B, 71 RBI)
OF Ryan Patterson, Louisiana St. (.350, 16 HR, 20 2B, 51 RBI)
DH Ryan Gordon, N.C. Greensboro (.416, 20 2B, 50 RBI, 20 SB)
UT Stephen Head, Mississippi (.337, 10 2B, 44 RBI, 13 SV as pitcher, 1.40 ERA)
SECOND TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
LHP Glen Perkins, Minnesota; RHP Jason Windsor, Cal. St. Fullerton; RHP Dustin Miller, Cal. St. Fullerton; RHP Chris Niesel, Notre Dame; LHP J.D. Cockroft, Miami (Fla.); LHP Randy Beam, Florida Atlantic; LHP J.P. Howell, Texas; Relief Will Fenton, Washington; C Jeff Clement, Southern California; 1B C.J. Smith, Florida; 2B Eric Patterson, Georgia Tech; 3B Neil Sellers, Eastern Kentucky; SS Stephen Drew, Florida State; OF Jeff Frazier, Rutgers; OF Sam Fuld, Stanford; OF Drew Moffitt, Wichita State and UT Micah Owings, Georgia Tech.
THIRD TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Chris Lambert, Boston College; RHP Clayton Jerome, Texas Christian; RHP Justin Verlander, Old Dominion; RHP Matt Durkin, San Jose State; RHP Justin Orenduff, Virginia Commonwealth; RHP Jason Bolinski, Richmond; LHP Brent Carter, Alabama; RHP Michael Rogers, North Carolina State; RHP Mike Pelfrey, Wichita State; RHP Steven Carter, Coastal Carolina; LHP Mark Romanczuk, Stanford; Relief Steven Register, Auburn; Relief Ryan Schroyer, San Diego State; Relief Joey Devine, North Carolina State; Relief Zane Carlson, Baylor; Relief Joey Charron, Tulane; C Jason Jaramillo, Oklahoma State; C Aaron Hathaway, Washington; 1B Jim Fasano, Richmond; 1B Ryan Baty, Kansas; 1B Clay Harris, LSU; 1B Rusty Brown, Florida Atlantic; 2B Kevin Melillo, South Carolina; 2B Tug Hulett, Auburn; 3B Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Florida State; 3B Brett Carroll, Middle Tennessee State; 3B Brad McCann, Clemson; SS Ryan Braun, Miami (Fla.); SS Ranger Wiens, Brigham Young; SS Brent Lillibridge, Washington; OF Joey Prast, San Diego; OF Jeff Fiorentino, Florida Atlantic; OF Ben Harrison, Florida; OF Jeff Van Houten, Arizona; OF Darryl Lawhorn, East Carolina; OF Ryan McGraw, Coastal Carolina and OF Keith Brachold, Marist
