DURHAM, N.C.—Freshman of the Year Chris Hernandez

, a lefthanded pitcher for Miami, leads the 2008 Baseball America Freshman All-America team.

Hernandez, a third-team All-American who Miami with 11 victories, becomes the fifth Hurricane to win BA’s top freshman honor, and the fourth since Jim Morris became Miami’s head coach for the 1994 season. He’s just the fourth Atlantic Coast Conference player to win the honor, with three of those (Hernandez, 2007 winner Dustin Ackley and 2002 winner Stephen Drew) coming in the last seven seasons.

The Southeastern Conference placed the most players on the first team, and all five SEC representatives played for different teams. It’s the second straight year the SEC has had five first-team all-freshman members. Auburn, with first basman Hunter Morris and outfielder Brian Fletcher, was the only team with two first-teamers.

The teams were selected by the staff of Baseball America. 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS

1982—Cory Snyder, 3b, Brigham Young

1983—Rafael Palmeiro, of, Mississippi State

1984—Greg Swindell, lhp, Texas

1985—Jack McDowell, rhp, Stanford; Ron Wenrich, of, Georgia

1986—Robin Ventura, 3b, Oklahoma State

1987—Paul Carey, of, Stanford

1988—Kirk Dressendorfer, rhp, Texas

1989—Alex Fernandez, rhp, Miami

1990—Jeffrey Hammonds, of, Stanford

1991—Brooks Kieschnick, rhp/dh, Texas

1992—Todd Walker, 2b, Louisiana State

1993—Brett Laxton, rhp, Louisiana State

1994—R.A. Dickey, rhp, Tennessee

1995—Kyle Peterson, rhp, Stanford

1996—Pat Burrell, 3b, Miami

1997—Brian Roberts, ss, North Carolina

1998—Xavier Nady, 2b, California

1999—James Jurries, 2b, Tulane

2000—Kevin Howard, 3b-ss, Miami

2001—Michael Aubrey, lhp-1b, Tulane

2002—Stephen Drew, ss, Florida State

2003—Ryan Braun, ss, Miami

2004—Wade LeBlanc, lhp, Alabama

2005—Joe Savery, lhp/1b, Rice

2006—Pedro Alvarez, 3b, Vanderbilt

2007—Dustin Ackley, 1b, North Carolina

2008—Chris Hernandez, lhp, Miami