Courtesy of Baseball America
DURHAM, N.C. — LSU catcher Brad Cresse continued to received postseason honors as he was named as a Baseball America First Team All-American, the publication announced late Tuesday. LSU first baseman Brad Hawpe and starting pitcher Brian Tallet were named to the second team.
Georgia Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira – just the fourth sophomore to win Baseball America’s College Player of the Year award – is the lone Atlantic Coast Conference player to make BA’s 2000 All-America team.
Pacific-10 and Southeastern conference players dominate the team, which was chosen by the staff of Baseball America. Five Pac-10 players qualified for the first team, including UCLA second baseman Chase Utley and outfielder Bill Scott; Arizona State outfielder Mitch Jones; Stanford righthander Justin Wayne; and Arizona righthander/DH Ben Diggins, who snagged the team’s two-way player spot.
Four SEC players made the list, including Auburn first baseman Todd Faulkner and outfielder Gabe Gross, Cresse, who made the team as a designated hitter, and South Carolina righthander Kip Bouknight.
Diggins, Teixeira, Utley and Pepperdine catcher Dane Sardinha were the four members of BA‘s preseason All-America team – voted on by major league scouting directors – to play their way onto the postseason team.
All but two of the players on the first team are newcomers to the All-America teams. Scott was a second-team All-American in 1999, while Sardinha was a third-team choice a year ago. Sardinha gives Pepperdine its second first-teamer in two years, on the heels of 1999 closer Jay Gehrke.
While the Big 12 boasted four members on last year’s first-team, including the Player of the Year, Baylor’s Jason Jennings, it mustered just one first-teamer in 2000. Texas righthander Charlie Thames edged out South Carolina’s Scott Barber and national saves leader Cory Scott of East Carolina for the closer spot.
Houston righthander Kyle Crowell becomes Conference-USA’s first-ever first-team All-American. The other member of the All-America rotation, sophomore lefthander Len DiNardo, gives Stetson its second first-teamer in three years. Catcher Sammy Serrano made the squad in 1998.
Old Dominion shortstop Tim Hummel becomes the first All-American from the Colonial Athletic Association since 1993, when East Carolina outfielder Pat Watkins made the team.
2000 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
As selected by the staff of Baseball America
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Player, College
C Dane Sardinha, Pepperdine
1B Todd Faulkner, Auburn
2B Chase Utley, UCLA
3B Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech
SS Tim Hummel, Old Dominion
OF Gabe Gross, Auburn
OF Mitch Jones, Arizona State
OF Bill Scott, UCLA
DH Brad Cresse, LSU
UT Ben Diggins, Arizona
SP Kip Bouknight, South Carolina
SP Kyle Crowell, Houston
SP Len DiNardo, Stetson
SP Justin Wayne, Stanford
RP Charlie Thames, Texas
UT Ben Diggins, Arizona
SECOND TEAM
C Casey Myers, Arizona State
1B Brad Hawpe, LSU
2B Sam Bozanich, Alabama
3B Justin Gemoll, So. California
SS Darren Fenster, Rutgers
OF Joe Borchard, Stanford
OF Mike Campo, Penn State
OF Chris Smith, Florida State
DH Frank Corr, Stetson
UT Jason DuBois, VCU
SP Rik Currier, So. California
SP Beau Hale, Texas
SP Shane Komine, Nebraska
SP Brian Tallet, LSU
RP Scott Barber, South Carolina
UT Jason DuBois, VCU
THIRD TEAM
C Scott Walter, Loyola Marymount
1B Garrett Atkins, UCLA
2B Chris Burke, Tennessee
3B Xavier Nady, California
SS Keoni DeRenne, Arizona
OF Tyrell Godwin, North Carolina
OF Joe Inglett, Nevada
OF Tim Olson, Florida
DH Matt Easterday, Ga. Southern
UT Jeff Bajenaru, Oklahoma
SP Kenny Baugh, Rice
SP Chad Hawkins, Baylor
SP Billy Traber, Loyola Marymount
SP Cory Vance, Georgia Tech
RP Cory Scott, East Carolina
UT Jeff Bajenaru, Oklahoma
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mark Teixeira, 3b, Georgia Tech