Baker Named First Team All-American By Baseball America

June 21, 2001

Clemson, SC – Third baseman Jeff Baker added his fifth All-America award for the 2001 season when he was selected to the Baseball America First Team. The announcement follows his selection as a first team Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American by Collegiate Baseball and second team All-American honors from Baseball Weekly, The Sporting News and the American Baeball Coaches Association. Baker is the first Tiger to be named to the publication’s first team since catcher Matthew LeCroy in 1997.

Baker, the only sophomore on the team, was one of three first-team selections out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the most of any league. He had one of the most productive seasons in school history from the plate as he belted an ACC-best 23 home runs, one short of the Clemson singles season record. He set school marks for the most home runs after two seasons (34) and most multi-homer games in a season (five) and career (seven). Baker is currently one of 22 players on the USA Baseball National Team playing 30 games on the Red, White and Blue Summer Tour.

FIRST TEAM C Kelly Shoppach, Baylor, Jr. 1B John VanBenschoten, Kent State, Jr. 2B Michael Woods, Southern, Jr. 3B Jeff Baker, Clemson, So. SS Chris Burke, Tennessee, Jr. OF John Cole, Nebraska, Jr. OF Shelley Duncan, Arizona, Jr. . OF John-ford Griffin, Florida State, Jr. DH Jake Gautreau, Tulane, Jr. UT Cory Sullivan, Wake Forest, Sr. P Dewon Brazelton, Middle Tenn., Jr. P Aaron Heilman, Notre Dame, Sr. P Noah Lowry, Pepperdine, Jr. P Justin Pope, Central Florida, Jr. P Mark Prior, Southern California, Jr.

SECOND TEAM C Casey Myers, Arizona State, Sr. 1B Dan Johnson, Nebraska, Sr. 2B Chris O’Riordan, Stanford, Jr. 3B Kevin Youkilis, Cincinnati, Sr. SS Jeff Keppinger, Georgia, Jr. OF Matt Davis, Va. Commonwealth, Jr. OF Greg Dobbs, Oklahoma, Sr. OF Jason Knoedler, Miami (Ohio), Jr. DH Ryan Brunner, Northern Iowa, Sr. UT Dan Haren, Pepperdine, Jr. P Jason Arnold, Central Florida, Sr. P Kenny Baugh, Rice, Sr. P Nate Fernley, Brigham Young, Sr. P Shane Komine, Nebraska, Jr. P Kirk Saarloos, CS Fullerton, Sr.

THIRD TEAM C Tim Whittaker, South Carolina, Sr. 1B Aaron Clark, Alabama, Sr. 2B Dan Uggla, Memphis, Jr. 3B Jack Hannahan, Minnesota, Jr. SS Brendan Harris, William & Mary, Jr. OF Todd Linden, Louisiana State, Jr. OF Steve Stanley, Notre Dame, Jr. OF Rickie Weeks, Southern, Fr. DH Brian Baron, UCLA, Sr. UT Barry Matthews, Gonzaga, Sr. P Willie Collazo, Florida International, Sr. P Rik Currier, So. California, Sr. P Lee Gronkiewicz, So. Carolina, Sr. P Jeremy Guthrie, Stanford, So. P Ben Thurmond, Winthrop, So.