Huskers Ranked Fourth in Collegiate Baseball Poll

TUCSON, Ariz. - Led by the return of all nine position player starters which formed an offensive juggernaut that hit .342 last year, fourth in the nation, Georgia Tech is the favorite to win the 2001 College World Series in Collegiate Baseball's pre-season Fabulous 40.

The Yellow Jackets, which captured the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships a year ago in rolling to a 50-16 record, also return four starting pitchers and welcome Stanford transfer Brian Sager, an extremely gifted righthanded pitcher who is expected to be a high draft pick next June.

The Yellow Jackets are so strong that seven players are expected to be chosen in the first five rounds of next June's Free Agent Draft.

The genesis of this team began with a superb recruiting class in 1998 which was ranked No. 1 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball.

The heart and sole of this team includes high profile players from that class in 3B Mark Teixeira (.427, 18 HR, 21 2B, 80 RBI, 13 SB), voted Player of The Year by several outlets last year and reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of The Year, 2B Richard Lewis (.398, 4 HR, 17 2B, 52 RBI), SS Victor Menocal (.329, 13 2B, 39 RBI), RHP Rhett Parrott (8-3, 4.48 ERA, 81 K, 35 BB), and RHP Steve Kelly (8-2, 4.73 ERA, 80 K, 39 BB).

Experience will undoubtedly be one of the key ingredients with this team. Of the returning position player starters, only one spot (1B) will in all probability not be filled by a junior or senior. The pitching staff is overflowing with experience as well.

"On paper, we feel we have a very good team," said Georgia Tech. Head Coach Danny Hall, who welcomes back four starters who hit .382 or higher last season, four starters who hit 21 doubles or more, in addition to five who knocked in 50 or more runs.

"But as always, we must prove it on the field that we are what we appear to be.

"We do return every position player starter from last year and also welcome back OF Matthew Boggs who has recovered from Tommy John surgery last season. He might be the best leadoff hitter in the nation. He has good speed, leads the team in walks, hit by pitches and forces pitchers to go deep in the count. He is one of those pesky hitters who causes pitchers fits.

"Offensively, we have a chance to be very potent. As far as pitching, our number two, three and four starters are back from last year. In addition, we added a high profile pitcher in Brian Sager who did extremely well for Stanford last year. There is no doubt we have quality starters. Our pitchers in the bullpen also look strong.

The "Collegiate Baseball" newspaper NCAA Division I poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Division I Baseball Fabulous 40 Pre-Season Poll

(As of Dec. 21, 2000)
Rank School ('00 Final Record) Points Final '00 Rank
1. Georgia Tech (50-16) 478 10
2. Southern California (44-20) 477 5
3. Louisiana St. (52-17) 473 1
4. Nebraska (51-17) 469 11
5. Clemson (51-18) 465 6
6. Arizona St. (44-15) 462 12
7. Rice (43-23) 460 26
8. Florida St. (53-19) 456 3
9. Miami, Fla. (41-19-1) 455 14
10. South Carolina (56-10) 453 9
11. Stanford (50-16) 449 2
12. Cal. St. Fullerton (38-21) 446 22
13. Florida (44-23-1) 442 17
14. Notre Dame (46-18) 439 NR
15. Oklahoma (41-23) 437 NR
16. Georgia (32-26) 433 NR
17. Baylor (45-17) 430 18
18. Auburn (41-20) 429 25
19. Central Florida (43-19) 425 30
20. Stetson (48-16) 424 23
21. Mississippi St. (41-20) 420 15
22. Long Beach St. (31-25) 418 NR
23. Evansville (41-22) 415 NR
24. Alabama (41-24) 411 27
25. Tennessee (40-23) 409 NR
26. Texas (46-21) 406 7
27. The Citadel (39-20) 404 NR
28. Wake Forest (41-20-1) 399 20
29. Wichita St. (44-21) 397 28
30. East Carolina (46-18) 394 29
31. Florida International (42-20) 390 NR
32. Southern Miss. (32-26) 387 NR
33. Tulane (38-22-1) 383 NR
34. Texas A&M (23-35) 380 NR
35. Oklahoma St. (36-22) 379 NR
36. Fresno St. (40-21) 375 NR
37. Pepperdine (36-23) 370 NR
38. Virginia Tech. (34-25-2) 367 NR
39. Minnesota (38-24) 364 NR
40. Penn State (45-19) 360 19

 

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S Pre-Season ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAMS
TUCSON, Ariz. - The 2001 Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American baseball teams, selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, features a who's who of NCAA Division I baseball players.

The pre-season pick as National Player of The Year is RHP Kip Bouknight of the University of South Carolina who posted a 17-1 overall record, 2.81 ERA, 143 strikeouts and only 34 walks in 144 innings. He was named National Player of The Year by four outlets last year, including Collegiate Baseball. He recently was named the winner of the Golden Spikes Award from USA Baseball as the nation's top amateur baseball player.

The three All-American teams include (with partial statistics from last season for first team members):

FIRST TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
LHP Lenny Dinardo, Stetson (16-1, 1.90 ERA, 132 SO, 27 BB)
RHP Kip Bouknight, South Carolina (17-1, 2.81 ERA, 143 SO, 34 BB)
RHP Aaron Heilman, Notre Dame (10-2, 3.21 ERA, 118 SO, 29 BB)
RHP Shane Komine, Nebraska (11-4, 2.24 ERA, 159 SO, 31 BB)
RHP Rik Currier, Southern California (15-3, 3.31 ERA, 141 SO, 56 BB)
RHP Dewon Brazelton, Middle Tenn. St. (7-3, 4.83 ERA, 98 SO, 28 BB)
Relief - Zane Carlson, Baylor (15 SV, 2.28 ERA, 46 SO, 21 BB)
C - Casey Myers, Arizona St. (Outstanding defense, .412, 18 HR, 19 2B, 97 RBI)
1B - Todd Faulkner, Auburn (.423, 22 HR, 27 2B, 103 RBI)
2B - Chris Burke, Tennessee (.401, 26 2B, 55 RBI, 56 SB)
SS - Bobby Crosby, Long Beach St. (Great defense, .348, 10 HR, 12 2B, 16 SB)
3B - Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech (.427, 18 HR, 21 2B, 80 RBI)
OF - Gabe Gross, Auburn (.430, 13 HR, 26 2B, 86 RBI)
OF - Frank Corr, Stetson (.431, 34 2B, 18 HR, 98 RBI)
OF - John-Ford Griffin, Florida St. (.403, 33 2B, 58 RBI)
OF - Jason Basil, Georgia Tech (.382, 15 HR, 25 2B, 83 RBI)
Utility - Dallas McPherson, The Citadel (.378, 18 2B, 55 RBI, 8-1 as pitcher, 3.07 ERA)

SECOND TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Mark Prior, Southern California
RHP Josh Karp, UCLA
RHP Kenny Baugh, Rice
LHP Jon Switzer, Arizona St.
RHP Preston Larrison, Evansville
RHP Steve Kelly, Georgia Tech
RHP Bob Brownlie, Rutgers
Relief Nick Glaser, Clemson
C Brooks Vogel, Dayton
C Bryan Prince, Georgia Tech
1B Philip Hartig, The Citadel
2B Mike Fontenot, Louisiana St.
SS Steve Holm, Oral Roberts
SS Seth Davidson, Southern California
3B Taggert Bozied, San Francisco
OF Todd Linden, Louisiana St.
OF Brian Stavisky, Notre Dame
OF Karl Nonemaker, Vanderbilt
OF Donny Sevieri, New Mexico
UT Ryan Stegall, Missouri

THIRD TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Rhett Parrott, Georgia Tech
RHP Jon Skaggs, Rice
RHP Blair Varnes, Florida St.
RHP Ben Keiter, Wichita St.
LHP Ryan Gordon, N.C. Greensboro
RHP Dan Haren, Pepperdine
RHP Darrell Rasner, Nevada
LHP Brian Walker, Miami (Fla.)
RHP Rich McGuire, Delaware
LHP Adam Wynegar, James Madison
RHP Peterson Benjamin, Florida Atlantic
Relief Kirk Saarloos, Cal. St. Fullerton
Relief Adam Larson, Mississippi St.
Relief Josh Brey, Liberty
C Kelly Shoppach, Baylor
C Ryan Budde, Oklahoma St.
C Rock Mills, Pepperdine
1B Ryan Howard, S.W. Missouri St.
1B Pat Hollander, Lehigh
1B Ryan Brunner, Northern Iowa
2B Richard Lewis, Georgia Tech
2B Andrew Salvo, Delaware
2B Keith Lillash, Cleveland St.
SS Jeff Keppinger, Georgia
SS Jeremy Kurella, Central Florida
SS Drew Meyer, South Carolina
SS Tim Merritt, South Alabama
SS Eric Arnold, Rice
3B Kevin Howard, Miami (Fla.)
3B Joe Drapeau, Maine
3B Jake Gautreau, Tulane
OF Patrick Boyd, Clemson
OF Shelley Duncan, Arizona
OF Matt Curtis, Tennessee Tech.