All-American Teams College - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 30, 2003

"LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAMS

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American baseball teams were announced today which have a potent mix of pitching and offense.

 

The 17-man first team, chosen by performances up to regional playoffs and picked by the staff of Collegiate Baseball newspaper, features 12 conference players or pitchers of the year, including:

 

• RHP Jeff Niemann, Rice (Pitcher of Year Western Athletic Conference)

• LHP Scott Lewis, Ohio St. (Pitcher of Year Big Ten Conference)

• LHP David Marchbanks, South Carolina (Pitcher of Year Southeastern Conference)

• RHP Jered Weaver, Long Beach St. (Co-Pitcher of Year Big West Conference)

• RHP Tim Stauffer, Richmond (Pitcher of Year Atlantic 10 Conference)

• C Ryan Garko, Stanford (Co-Player of Year Pacific-10 Conference)

• 1B Billy Becher, New Mexico St. (Player of Year Sun Belt Conference)

• 2B Rickie Weeks, Southern (Player of Year Southwestern Athletic Conference)

• 3B Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest (Player of Year Atlantic Coast Conference)

• SS Dustin Pedroia, Arizona St. (Co-Player of Year Pacific-10 Conference)

• OF Brad Snyder, Ball St. (Player of Year Mid-American Conference)

• OF Josh Anderson, Eastern Kentucky (Player of Year Ohio Valley Conference)

 

The first team features six starting pitchers who posted a combined 69-10 record with an ERA of 2.09. Richmond's Tim Stauffer leads first team All-American pitchers with 135 strikeouts. Stauffer also posted an amazing 10 complete games in 14 starts this season.

 

The offense features power, line drive hitters and speed. The first team belted 129 homers led by NCAA Division I leader Billy Becher of New Mexico St. with 31. Becher was also the nation's leader in RBIs with 110. Seven first teamers hit 19 or more doubles this season led by Dustin Pedroia (32) of Arizona St. who leads NCAA Division I. As far as speed, Eastern Kentucky's Josh Anderson leads the nation with 57 stolen bases in 65 attempts.

 

The first team also features Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of The Year in 2B Rickie Weeks of Southern. Weeks hit .500 with 16 homers, 13 doubles, 67 RBI and was 27-for-27 in stolen base opportunities. When you factor in that he was walked 46 times this season and hit by pitches 15 times, his on-base percentage was an astounding .619. Weeks is expected to be one of the first picks in the upcoming Free Agent Draft.

 

The following are the first, second and third team Louisville Slugger All-Americans for the 2003 season.