2006 Preseason All-America Team

January 16, 2006

Baseball America's All-America team was selected by Allan Simpson and Will Kimmey in conjunction with major league scouting directors. It's based on future potential as much as past performance, and because of that often proves a strong indicator of future success even if the accompanying statistics aren't always eye-popping. Ten of the 14 players on last year's first team ended up as first-round draft picks, two went in the second round and Daniel Bard and Drew Stubbs are first-teamers this year who look like first-round locks this June.

First Team

Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB
C	J.P. Arencibia	Tennessee	So.	R-R	6-1	195	.322	.379	.534	283	54	91	14	71	0
The Freshman All-American ranked third in the SEC in RBIs before leading Team USA with a .404 average and .579 slugging percentage.
1B	Matt LaPorta	Florida	Jr.	R-R	6-1	215	.328	.438	.698	265	75	87	26	79	3
The slugger led the nation in home runs while topping the SEC in slugging and RBIs en route to a first-team All-America selection in 2005.
2B	Adam Davis	Florida	Jr.	B-R	5-9	185	.306	.395	.486	294	75	90	12	63	24
Davis, who homered from both sides of the plate in the same game twice last year and hit .313 for Team USA, shifts to shortstop this year.
3B	Wes Hodges	Georgia Tech	Jr.	R-R	6-1	194	.397	.466	.566	267	67	106	9	51	3
Hodges used all fields to become the 10th player in school history to record 100 hits in a season last year and hit .309 for Team USA.
SS	Evan Longoria	Long Beach State	Jr.	R-R	6-2	185	.320	.368	.421	228	34	73	5	30	10
Longoria filled in at shortstop for Troy Tulowtizki last year before leading the Cape Cod League with eight homers and 36 RBIs to earn MVP honors.
OF	Colin Curtis	Arizona State	Jr.	L-L	6-2	200	.342	.442	.427	260	52	89	2	45	17
Curtis led all College World Series batters with nine hits, batted .474 in Omaha and .400 for the NCAA tournament.
OF	Drew Stubbs	Texas	Jr.	R-R	6-4	199	.311	.384	.527	283	67	88	11	46	32
Stubbs hit inside-the-park homers in consecutive games against Stanford and led the Big 12 in steals and ranked in the top five in runs, hits and total bases.
OF	Shane Robinson	Florida State	Jr.	R-R	5-9	165	.427	.532	.605	286	96	122	6	43	49
A one-man rally, Robinson led the nation in runs, ranked second in hits and on-base percentage and third in steals.
UT	Joe Savery	Rice	So.	L-L	6-3	215	.382	.471	.559	204	49	78	5	43	7
Savery earned Freshman of the Year honors and was both the WAC's player and pitcher of the year after leading it in batting and strikeouts.

Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	BB	SO	AVG
P	Daniel Bard	North Carolina	Jr.	R-R	6-4	202	7	5	4.22	16	0	90	73	43	77	.219
Bard led the Cape Cod League with 82 strikeouts in 65 innings, ranked third with a 1.25 ERA and started the all-star game for the West.
P	Ian Kennedy	Southern California	Jr.	R-R	6-1	195	12	3	2.43	18	0	117	85	38	158	.201
Kennedy served as a Team USA's ace and tied for the team lead with four wins after pacing the nation in strikeouts as a sophomore.
P	Andrew Miller	North Carolina	Jr.	L-L	6-6	210	8	4	2.98	16	0	97	78	52	104	.230
Miller led the ACC with 9.68 strikeouts per nine innings before going 6-0, 1.65 with 66 strikeouts in 49 Cape Cod League innings.
P	David Price	Vanderbilt	So.	L-L	6-6	190	2	4	2.86	16	0	69	51	30	92	.207
Price led Team USA with 39 strikeouts after earning Freshman All-America honors by ranking second in the SEC with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
P	Max Scherzer	Missouri	Jr.	R-R	6-2	198	9	4	1.86	16	0	106	59	41	131	.163
Scherzer ranked second in the nation in opponents average and led all Big 12 starters in strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings (11.1) and ERA.
UT	Joe Savery	Rice					8	5	2.43	19	1	119	104	37	129	.235

Second Team

Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB
C	Brian Jeroloman	Florida	Jr.	L-R	6-0	190	.298	.432	.440	248	48	74	8	49	2
1B	Mark Hamilton	Tulane	Jr.	L-L	6-4	212	.318	.452	.599	157	37	50	11	46	0
2B	John Shelby	Kentucky	Jr.	R-R	5-11	185	.344	.373	.558	224	42	77	10	52	23
3B	Matt Antonelli	Wake Forest	Jr.	R-R	6-0	198	.332	.475	.509	232	68	77	5	35	13
SS	Jason Donald	Arizona	Jr.	R-R	6-1	200	.288	.398	.473	222	38	64	5	33	5
OF	Brennan Boesch	California	Jr.	L-L	6-6	210	.355	.436	.567	217	36	77	7	33	6
OF	Chris Errecart	California	Jr.	R-L	6-1	210	.298	.355	.462	238	35	71	8	35	6
OF	Jon Jay	Miami	Jr.	L-L	6-0	200	.408	.490	.531	211	50	86	1	52	13
UT	Matt Wieters	Georgia Tech	So.	L-R	6-4	205	.366	.470	.581	227	53	83	10	68	1

Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	BB	SO	AVG
P	Andrew Brackman	North Carolina State	So.	R-R	6-10	235	4	0	2.09	10	0	43	32	18	43	.216
P	Dallas Buck	Oregon State	Jr.	R-R	6-3	210	12	1	2.09	19	1	129	90	51	118	.194
P	Joba Chamberlain	Nebraska	Jr.	R-R	6-3	225	10	2	2.81	18	0	119	91	33	130	.218
P	Brad Lincoln	Houston	Jr.	L-R	6-0	200	4	7	4.76	18	0	102	124	25	106	.298
P	Kyle McCulloch	Texas	Jr.	R-R	6-3	178	12	4	2.92	26	0	139	137	45	99	.267
UT	Matt Wieters	Georgia Tech					3	3	2.85	26	6	41	40	10	32	.255

Third Team

Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB
C	Chad Tracy	Pepperdine	Jr.	R-R	6-3	175	.367	.428	.609	256	56	94	12	61	3
1B	Aaron Bates	North Carolina State	Jr.	R-R	6-2	226	.425	.523	.678	214	61	91	12	64	3
2B	Jim Negrych	Pittsburgh	Jr.	R-R	5-10	180	.349	.471	.694	186	52	65	16	59	11
3B	Chris Coughlan	Mississippi	Jr.	L-R	6-1	195	.363	.430	.516	273	66	99	6	57	7
SS	Josh Rodriguez	Rice	Jr.	R-R	6-0	180	.345	.411	.555	238	48	82	11	54	9
OF	Jordan Danks	Texas	Fr.	L-R	6-5	210	HS--Round Rock, Texas
OF	Hunter Mense	Missouri	Jr.	L-L	5-11	185	.327	.440	.473	205	62	67	3	43	10
OF	Michael Taylor	Stanford	So.	R-R	6-6	250	.289	.365	.422	225	44	65	4	28	9
UT	Sean Doolittle	Virginia	So.	L-L	6-2	180	.313	.391	.522	224	36	70	11	57	7

Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	BB	SO	AVG
P	Jared Hughes	Long Beach State	Jr.	R-R	6-7	235	8	3	2.83	15	0	89	67	23	87	.212
P	Wade LeBlanc	Alabama	Jr.	L-L	6-3	180	5	5	4.09	14	0	88	77	28	108	.231
P	Tim Lincecum	Washington	Jr.	R-R	6-0	165	8	6	3.11	16	0	104	62	71	131	.179
P	Mark Melancon	Arizona	Jr.	R-R	6-2	210	4	3	2.58	34	11	66	52	21	69	.208
P	Brandon Morrow	California	Jr.	R-R	6-3	185	0	1	9.36	10	1	25	32	20	25	.308