Four Tigers Named NCBWA 2002 Preseason All-Americans

Nov. 13, 2001

CLEMSON, SC – Tigers Jeff Baker, Steve Reba and Jarrod Schmidt have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association 2002 preseason All-America teams. Baker and Johnson were selected to the first team, Reba was a second-team selection while Schmidt garnered third-team honors.

Baker, who was an NCBWA second-team All-America choice last season, is the top returning home run hitter in major college baseball this season. The junior third baseman belted an ACC-best 23 home runs last year, one short of the Clemson single 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).

Johnson had 70 hits in 218 at bats to hit .321 last season. The junior first baseman from Georgetown, SC had 18 home runs, 13 doubles and one triple on his way to knocking in 54 runs. His slugging percentage of .638 was second best on the team. He had only four errors to lead the team with a .993 fielding percentage.

Reba led the ACC in victories with a 12-3 record in 2001. The senior right-hander from Fort Wayne, IN also had the league’s best ERA at 2.58, an ACC-best 103 strikeouts and allowed opponents to bat only .212. His best game of the year was a complete game, three-hit shutout against Georgia Tech, which entered the game with the nation’s best batting average.

Schmdit was selected to the third team as a utility player. The junior showed his versatility in 2001 by drilling 16 home runs and 51 RBIs as a designated hitter and first baseman. He was also a valuable contributor on the mound as the right-hander finished second on the team in wins (seven) and strikeouts (59).

First Team Pos. Name School Class 1B Michel Johnson Clemson Jr. 2B Chris O’Riordan Stanford Sr. 3B Jeff Baker Clemson Jr. SS Javy Rodriguez Miami (FL) Sr. C Jeremy Brown Alabama Jr. OF Steve Stanley Notre Dame Jr. OF Gregg Davies Towson Sr. OF Carlos Quentin Stanford So. UT/ATH Michael Aubrey Tulane So.

Pitchers Pos. Name School Class SP Bobby Brownlie Rutgers Jr. SP Jeremy Guthrie Stanford Jr. SP Shane Komine Nebraska Sr. SP Michael Rogers Oral Roberts Sr. RP Dave Bush Wake Forest Sr. RP George Huguet Miami(FL) So.

Second Team Pos. Name School Class 1B Phil Pilewski Toledo Sr. 2B Steve Sollmann Notre Dame So. 3B Nick Blankenship Texas Tech Sr. SS Eric Arnold Rice Sr. C Chad Oliva Jacksonville Sr. OF Matt Davis Va. Commonwealth Sr. OF Burney Hutchinson Ole Miss Sr. OF Todd Leathers Winthrop Sr. UT/ATH Matt Hopper Nebraska Jr.

Pitchers Pos. Name School Class SP John Maine Charlotte Sr. SP Steve Reba Clemson Jr. SP Bob Runyon Fresno State Sr. SP Ben Thurmond Winthrop Jr. RP Andy Hutchings Charleston So. RP Luke DeBold Miami (FL) Sr.

Third Team Pos. Name School Class 1B Val Majewski Rutgers Sr. 2B Peter Summa Holy Cross Sr. 3B Brock Coleman Michigan Jr. 3B Nick Blankenship Texas Tech Sr. SS Victor Menocal Georgia Tech Sr. C Chris Hamblen Cincinnati Jr. OF Jeff Christy Stetson Sr. OF Len Elias Bowling Green Sr. OF Rickie Weeks Southern U. So. UT/ATH Jarrod Schmidt Clemson Jr.

Pitchers Pos. Name School Class SP Lance Cormier Alabama Sr. SP Andy Dickinson Illinois Sr. SP Kyle Johnson St. Bonaventure Jr. SP Sam Narron East Carolina Jr. RP Jeffrey Carswell Georgia Sr. RP Will Brinson East Carolina Jr.