Wake Forest Athletics
Antonelli Named Second Team Preseason All-American by Baseball America
1/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 5, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest junior third basemen Matt Antonelli was named second team Preseason All-American by Baseball America Thursday afternoon. Antonelli, who has already been named to the Wallace Award Watch List, is the first Demon Deacon to garner Preseason All-American status since prior to the 2003 season.
Antonelli, a native of Peabody, Mass, led Wake Forest in batting average (.332), walks (57), on-base percentage (.475) and runs scored (68) in 2005. The 57 walks set a new single-season school record surpassing the previous mark of 55 held by Billy Masse (1988). Antonelli also tied Dave Lardieri for 10th all-time in single-season school history for runs scored. He was second on the squad in hits (77), doubles (22) and triples (2).
Baseball America asked scouting directors to vote on the team and make their selections based on performance, talent and major league potential. In the past, the preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success. Ten of the 14 members of the 2005 preseason first team ended up as first-round picks in June, two went in the second round and the two sophomores have repeated as first-teamers this year.
The Pacific-10 Conference leads the way with 11 players selected, followed by the Atlantic Coast (10), Southeastern (nine), Big 12 (six), Conference USA (four), Big West (two), Big East (one) and West Coast (one).
First Team
C: J.P. Arencibia, Tennessee. 1B: Matt LaPorta, Florida. 2B: Adam Davis, Florida. 3B: Wes Hodges, Georgia Tech. SS: Evan Longoria, Long Beach State. OF: Colin Curtis, Arizona State; Drew Stubbs, Texas; Shane Robinson, Florida State. UT: Joe Savery, Rice. P: Daniel Bard, North Carolina; Ian Kennedy, Southern California; Andrew Miller, North Carolina; David Price, Vanderbilt; Max Scherzer, Missouri.
Second Team
C: Brian Jeroloman, Florida. 1B: Mark Hamilton, Tulane. 2B: John Shelby, Kentucky. 3B: Matt Antonelli, Wake Forest. SS: Jason Donald, Arizona. OF: Brennan Boesch, California; Chris Errecart, California; Jon Jay, Miami. UT: Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech. P: Andrew Brackman, Norte Carolina State; Dallas Buck, Oregon State; Joba Chamberlain, Nebraska; Brad Lincoln, Houston; Kyle McCulloch, Texas.
Third Team
C: Chad Tracy, Pepperdine. 1B: Aaron Bates, North Carolina State. 2B: Jim Negrych, Pittsburgh. 3B: Chris Coghlan, Mississippi. SS: Josh Rodriguez, Rice. OF: Jordan Danks, Texas; Hunter Mense, Missouri; Michael Taylor, Stanford. UT: Sean Doolittle, Virginia. P: Jared Hughes, Long Beach State; Wade LeBlanc, Alabama; Tim Lincecum, Washington; Mark Melancon, Arizona; Brandon Morrow, California.
-- WakeForestSports.com --
