January 3, 2003

DURHAM, N.C.--Georgia Tech and Cal State Fullerton combined to place seven players on Baseball America's Preseason All-America teams, but no section of the country or conference loomed larger than another in the minds of major league scouting directors.

Once again, Baseball America asked scouting directors to vote on the team and make their selections based on performance, talent and major league potential. In the past, the preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success. For example, nine members of the 2001 preseason team were first-round picks that June. And the teams that have placed the most players on the All-America squad in the preseason have fared well on the field--the last 12 have finished in the postseason Top 10 with the exception of Georgia Tech in 2001.

As was the case that year, the Yellow Jackets have the most selections this year with four, led by first-team selections Kyle Bakker, a lefthander, and Matt Murton, an outfielder who made the team as the first-team DH. Murton was as preseason third-team selection a year ago. Also selected from the preseason's top ranked team were second baseman Eric Patterson, the younger brother of Cubs outfielder Corey, and outfielder Jeremy Slayden, with both voted to the second team.

The Yellow Jackets lead a nine-member Atlantic Coast Conference contingent, largest of any conference. The Southeastern Conference placed eight members on the three teams while the Pacific-10 has seven. The Big 12, the Big West and Conference USA placed three players apiece, with Cal State Fullerton accounting for all three Big West representatives. Righthanders Chad Cordero and Wes Littleton and outfielder Shane Costa all were voted onto the second team.

Several players are repeat honorees. Outfielders Michael Aubrey (Tulane) and Carlos Quentin (Stanford) were first-team members a year ago and were teammates last summer with USA Baseball's national squad. Outfielder Anthony Gwynn (San Diego State) and second baseman Rickie Weeks (Southern) were second-team picks last year who moved up to the first team, while outfielder Sam Fuld (Stanford) and catcher Javi Herrera (Tennessee) are repeat third-team selections.

As usual, juniors dominate the list of players, with UCLA first baseman Wes Whisler and Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew (younger brother of big league Drews J.D. and Tim) the lone sophomores on the first team. Only two seniors made any of the three lists--Clemson's Michael Johnson, the second-team first baseman, and third-team righthander Anthony Reyes of Southern California. Reyes was a first-team pick last year before getting injured.

First Team

	Player, College	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	AVG	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	Last Drafted
C	Landon Powell, South Carolina	B-R	6-3	225	Jr.	.292	274	49	12	53	2	Never drafted
1B	Wes Whisler, UCLA	L-L	6-5	227	So.	.328	177	33	18	46	2	Cubs '01 (42)
2B	Rickie Weeks, Southern	R-R	5-11	195	Jr.	.495	198	82	20	96	10	Never drafted
3B	Conor Jackson, California	R-R	6-3	190	Jr.	.382	220	43	16	61	7	Indians '00 (31)
SS	Stephen Drew, Florida State	L-R	6-1	185	So.	.402	204	64	16	54	13	Pirates '01 (11)
OF	Michael Aubrey, Tulane	L-L	6-0	175	Jr.	.316	209	40	7	52	6	Never drafted
OF	Anthony Gwynn, San Diego State	L-L	6-0	185	Jr.	.339	248	58	1	36	25	Braves '00 (33)
OF	Carlos Quentin, Stanford	R-R	6-2	215	Jr.	.303	241	55	12	54	11	Never drafted
DH	Matt Murton, Georgia Tech	R-R	6-1	214	Jr.	.344	250	62	10	58	20	Never drafted
	Player, College	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	W-L	ERA	IP	H	BB	SO	Last Drafted
P	David Aardsma, Rice	R-R	6-5	190	Jr.	7-1	3.47	60	65	14	53	Never drafted
P	Kyle Bakker, Georgia Tech	L-L	6-9	255	Jr.	13-2	3.14	135	132	24	115	Phillies '00 (37)
P	Kyle Sleeth, Wake Forest	R-R	6-5	185	Jr.	14-0	2.97	118	115	41	113	Orioles '00 (18)
P	Tim Stauffer, Richmond	R-R	6-2	205	Jr.	15-3	1.54	146	110	34	140	Orioles '00 (36)
P	Brad Sullivan, Houston	R-R	6-1	190	Jr.	13-1	1.82	129	80	49	157	Never drafted

Second Team

	Player, College	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	AVG	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	Last Drafted
C	Tony Richie, Florida State	R-R	6-1	215	Jr.	.353	249	59	13	75	1	White Sox '00 (5)
1B	Michael Johnson, Clemson	L-R	6-4	220	Sr.	.384	263	62	25	81	11	Padres '02 (2)
2B	Eric Patterson, Georgia Tech	L-R	5-11	170	So.	.346	260	73	3	40	41	Rockies '01 (22)
3B	Lee Mitchell, Georgia	R-R	6-2	190	Jr.	.286	245	48	14	55	6	Never drafted
SS	Aaron Hill, Louisiana State	R-R	6-0	200	Jr.	.329	222	46	9	47	10	Angels '00 (7)
OF	Michael Bourn, Houston	L-R	5-11	170	Jr.	.327	248	68	1	23	32	Astros '00 (19)
OF	Ben Harrison, Florida	R-R	6-3	190	Jr.	.342	161	42	8	38	6	Never drafted
OF	Jeremy Slayden, Georgia Tech	L-R	6-0	188	So.	.348	256	74	18	66	4	Padres '01 (20)
DH	Shane Costa, Cal State Fullerton	L-R	6-1	200	Jr.	.365	233	55	4	40	14	Devil Rays '00 (37)
	Player, College	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	W-L	ERA	IP	H	BB	SO	Last Drafted
P	Chad Cordero, Cal State Fullerton	R-R	6-1	195	Jr.	4-3	2.91	56	46	20	81	Padres '00 (26)
P	Wes Littleton, Cal State Fullerton	R-R	6-3	200	Jr.	9-4	2.40	131	116	34	86	Expos '00 (7)
P	Paul Maholm, Mississippi State	L-L	6-3	214	Jr.	10-3	3.43	102	103	33	77	Twins '00 (17)
P	David Purcey, Oklahoma	L-L	6-5	240	So.	5-4	3.35	75	77	44	84	Mariners '01 (20)
P	Jeremy Sowers, Vanderbilt	L-L	6-1	175	So.	6-5	4.37	101	104	31	85	Reds '01 (1)

Third Team

	Player, College	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	AVG	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	Last Drafted
C	Javi Herrera, Tennessee	R-R	6-2	195	Jr.	.200	60	10	12	4	0	0	7	1	Red Sox '00 (42)
1B	Vince Sinisi, Rice	L-L	6-0	195	So.	.428	271	65	116	22	2	11	80	13	Never drafted
2B	Tim Moss, Texas	B-R	5-11	177	Jr.	.371	302	73	112	16	7	1	39	40	Never drafted
3B	Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest	R-R	6-2	205	Jr.	.336	223	54	75	10	1	20	83	2	Never drafted
SS	Matt Macri, Notre Dame	R-R	6-2	195	Fr.	.206	68	10	14	3	0	1	13	1	Twins '01 (17)
OF	Rod Allen, Arizona State	R-R	6-1	199	Jr.	.278	209	46	58	15	2	6	50	14	Reds '00 (34)
OF	Sam Fuld, Stanford	L-L	5-10	180	Jr.	.375	293	67	110	20	4	8	47	8	Never drafted
OF	Javon Moran, Auburn	R-R	5-11	174	Jr.	.365	266	59	97	11	3	3	41	18	Never drafted
DH	Chad Corona, San Diego State	R-R	6-3	208	Jr.	.323	201	38	65	13	2	9	34	0	Cubs '00 (16)
	Player, College	B-T	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	W-L	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	BB	SO	Last Drafted
P	Scott Baker, Oklahoma State	R-R	6-4	190	Jr.	6-3	3	4.23	13	0	77	75	23	47	Pirates '00 (36)
P	Matt Brown, California	R-R	6-5	220	Jr.	5-3	3	3.70	21	6	73	77	23	55	Never drafted
P	Chris Ray, William & Mary	R-R	6-3	190	Jr.	4-4	4	4.17	29	7	41	40	14	40	Never drafted
P	Anthony Reyes, Southern California	R-R	6-2	215	Sr.	4-2	2	3.44	12	0	65	69	17	49	Tigers '02 (13)
P	Bob Zimmermann, SW Missouri State	R-R	6-5	220	Jr.	2-3	3	4.02	17	6	47	53	24	41	Rockies '00 (14)