DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association announced its 16th annual Pro-Line
Cap/NCBWA All-America Division I baseball teams on Tuesday.
The five finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which will be presented
at a news conference Friday at 10 a.m. (CDT) from the Omaha Hilton
Garden Hotel in Omaha, are just a few of the high-profile collegians
on the "dream teams."
Rice
pitcher Eddie Degerman, James Madison outfielder Kellen Kulbacki,
Washington pitcher Tim Lincecum, Houston P-DH-UT Brad Lincoln, and
Cal State Fullerton sophomore Wes Roemer highlight the first unit.
Degerman and Roemer pitched their teams into the NCAA World Series
after both schools hosted NCAA Super Regionals on June 9-12.
In addition, NCBWA Stopper of the Year Don Czyz (who recorded
a school-record and NCAA-leading 19 saves) of Kansas joins the five
finalists for that Award on either the first or second units of
these selections, which began after the 1991 season and are voted
upon by members of the NCBWA.
The first team starting pitchers combined for 51 wins and 610
strikeouts prior to NCAA World Series activity, while the relief
men Rice's Cole St.Clair and KU's Czyz had 30 saves between
them and both had earned run averages below 1.60.
Hitters on the first team were among national leaders in almost
every category.
Kulbacki smashed a NCAA Division I-topping 24 home runs, while
shortstop Tom King of Troy paced the nation in hits with 117 (prior
to World Series stats, which count in individual and team tallies).
Kulbacki was also second nationally in batting average at .464 while
Ohio State third baseman Ronnie Bourquin was chosen as Big Ten Conference
Player of the Year.
Pittsburgh second baseman Jim Negrych, the first Panthers' baseball
player to be named as a semifinalist on the Dick Howser Trophy list
and NCBWA District I Player of the Year, carried a .396 average
with 11 homers and 60 RBI in 53 games. Designated hitter/utility
athlete Lincoln not only ripped 14 home runs second on the Cougars'
2006 squad, but won 12 games in 14 decisions, while striking out
152 batters in 127 2/3 innings. Lincoln's impressive totals brought
the first unit pitching victories' total up to 63 along with 762
strikeouts the most ever by a first team in NCBWA All-America
annals.
Clemson first baseman Andy D'Alessio (22 homers, 80 RBI) and
Cal State Fullerton's Roemer (who pitched 60-plus innings without
a walk in '06 and entered the CWS with six free passes in 141 2/3
innings for a .38 walk ratio each nine innings tossed) have the
opportunity to be two of the stalwarts in the 2006 NCAA World Series
in Omaha after posting awesome numbers prior to June 16.
The second team has five starting pitchers with a 68 victories,
including 14-game winners Lauren Gagnier of Cal State Fullerton
and TCU's Jake Arrieta. Oregon State's Dallas Buck (12-2) paced
the Beavers into their first back-to-back appearances in the CWS
in school history during 2005 and '06. Second team relief ace Vinnie
Pestano of Cal State Fullerton on the second squad gives the Titans
a total of three moundmen on the first two teams.
2006 PRO-LINE CAP/NCBWA DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA TEAM |
Pos. |
First Team |
School |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
1B |
Andy D'Alessio |
Clemson |
6-3 |
215 |
Jr. |
Naples, Fla. |
2B |
Jim Negrych |
Pittsburgh |
5-10 |
180 |
Jr. |
Buffalo, N.Y. |
3B |
Ronnie Bourquin |
Ohio State |
6-3 |
210 |
Jr. |
Canton, Ohio |
SS |
Tom King |
Troy |
5-11 |
190 |
Jr. |
Panama City,
Fla. |
C |
Michael McKenry |
Middle Tennessee |
5-10 |
195 |
Jr. |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
OF |
Tyler Colvin |
Clemson |
6-3 |
190 |
Jr. |
North Augusta,
S.C. |
OF |
Jacob Dempsey |
Winthrop |
6-1 |
218 |
Sr. |
Chesapeake, Va. |
OF |
Kellen Kulbacki |
James Madison |
5-11 |
195 |
So. |
Hershey, Pa. |
UT |
Brad Lincoln |
Houston |
6-0 |
200 |
Jr. |
Clute, Texas |
SP |
Eddie Degerman |
Rice |
6-4 |
205 |
Sr. |
Granada Hills,
Calif. |
SP |
Tim Lincecum |
Washington |
6-0 |
165 |
Jr. |
Renton, Wash. |
SP |
Andrew Miller |
North Carolina |
6-6 |
210 |
Jr. |
Gainesville,
Fla. |
SP |
Wes Roemer |
Cal State Fullerton |
6-0 |
185 |
So. |
Glendora, Calif. |
RP |
Don Czyz |
Kansas |
6-2 |
200 |
Sr. |
Overland Park,
Kan. |
RP |
Cole St. Clair |
Rice |
6-5 |
225 |
So. |
Santa Ana, Calif. |
Second Team: 1B Ryan Strieby, Kentucky, Jr.;
2B Eric Sogard, Arizona State, Jr.; 3B Zach Daeges,
Creighton, Sr.; SS Ryan Khoury, Utah, Sr.; C Jake
Smith, East Carolina, Sr.; OF Luke Gorsett, Nebraska,
Jr.; OF Shane Robinson, Florida State, Jr.; OF Emeel
Salem, Alabama, Jr.; DH/ATH Sean Doolittle, Virginia,
So.; SP Dallas Buck, Oregon State, Jr.; SP Nick
Chigges, College of Charleston, Jr.; SP Lauren Gagnier,
Cal State Fullerton, Jr.; SP Wade LeBlanc, Alabama,
Jr.; SP Jake Arrieta, TCU, So.; RP Kevin Gunderson,
Oregon State, Jr.; RP Vinnie Pestano, Cal State
Fullerton, Jr.; RP Joshua Fields, Georgia, Jr. |
Third Team: 1B Craig Cooper, Notre Dame,
Sr.; 1B Chad Huffman, TCU, Jr.; 2B Ramon Corona,
N.C. State, So.; 3B Evan Longoria, Long Beach State,
Jr.; 3B Marc Maddox, Southern Miss, Sr.; SS Zack
Cozart, Ole Miss, So.; SS Chris Minaker, Stanford,
Sr.; SS Zach Penprase, Mississippi Valley State,
Jr.; C Sean Coughlin, Kentucky, Jr.; C Kody Valverde,
Alabama, Sr.; OF Michael Epping, New Orleans, Sr.;
OF Cole Gillespie, Oregon State, Jr.; OF Drew Holder,
Dallas Baptist, Sr.; OF Ben Saylor, BYU, Sr.; OF
Drew Stubbs, Texas, Jr.; DH/ATH Joe Savery, Rice,
Sr.; DH/ATH Damon Sublett, Wichita State, So.; SP
Tyler Chambliss, Florida State, Jr.; SP Josh Cribb,
Clemson, Sr.; SP David Price, Vanderbilt, So.; SP
Nick Schmidt, Arkansas, So.; SP Tony Watson, Nebraska,
So.; SP Alex Wilson, Winthrop, Jr.; RP Daniel Best,
Southern Miss, Sr.; RP Milan Dinga, Army, Jr.; RP
Andrew Urena, Mercer, Sr. |
Click
here for .pdf version of release with complete player
statistics |
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Pro-Line is in its second year as a sponsor of the NCBWA. It
produces and distributes plaques for National Hitter and Pitchers
of the Week during the regular season and has extended its award
production to include plaques for each member of the Pro-Line/NCBWA
All-American team.
Pro-Line Cap Company is a completely custom, cut-and-sew headwear
manufacturer. All caps are built as ordered to their customer's
satisfaction. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Pro-Line is the official
cap of 33 state high school baseball associations and the official
on the field cap of over 100 Division I college baseball teams.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of
college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and
publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory,
newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award Player
of the Year, Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting.
The NCBWA also sponsors preseason All-American awards, publication
and writing contests.
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