HogManInLA’s 2012 College Baseball All-American Team
By Ryan Wright
The 2012 college baseball season was full of surprise teams and surprise players. University of Kentucky and Baylor University came from preseason obscurity to capture well deserved attention and national rankings. While teams like Florida and Florida State lived up to their preseason hype throughout the season.
Two-time defending NCAA National Champion South Carolina stumbled early but found their stride after a rough opening to their SEC season.
UCLA recovered from losing 2011 National Player of the Year Trevor Bauer to win the Pac-12 title again.
Starting pitchers like Missouri State’s Nick Petree and Mississippi State’s Chris Stratton came out of nowhere to dominate their opposition.
Louisiana State outfielder Ralph Rhymes did the near impossible by hitting .500 or better for the majority of the 2012 season. His end of the season slump should not diminish the amazing season he had at the plate.
Of the 13 players listed on the HogManInLA’s 2012 All-American team 12 are juniors and seniors and by all accounts will be drafted early in the 2012 MLB Draft. The only underclassman listed is New Mexico’s third baseman D.J. Peterson.
Picking the Player of the Year award is not an easy task. One must consider all the stats, conference played in, and talent surrounding each player. While there were many deserving players for player of the year, Hofstra’s outfielder Danny Poma was an unstoppable force throughout the season hitting .430, collecting 102 hits, with 32 doubles, and 48 RBI. Poma walked 22 times and struck out 16 times in 237 plate appearances.
Chris Stratton has earned Pitcher of the Year honors for dominating the SEC throughout the 2012 season.
Stratton was the focal point and backbone for the MSU team while players recovered from injuries along the way to winning the 2012 SEC Tournament.
Stratton also led the Bulldogs to an SEC best 2.58 ERA (third best in NCAA Division-I) while the MSU team hit .252 on the season, second worst batting average in the SEC.
HogManInLA’s All-American Team
C Mike Zunino, Jr., Florida, .323 avg, 16 homeruns, 27 doubles**
C Mitchell Garver, Jr., New Mexico, .388, 27 doubles**
1B Jayce Boyd, Jr., FSU, .395 batting avg, 87 hits, 20 doubles, 55 RBI
1B Goose Kallunki, Sr., Utah Valley, .419 batting avg, 18 HR, 86 RBI
2B Alex Yarbrough, Jr., Ole Miss, .389 batting avg, 17 doubles, 41 RBI
2B Devon Travis, Jr., FSU, .316 avg, 22 doubles, 34 RBI
3B D.J. Peterson, Soph., New Mexico, .427, RBI 78**
3B Matt Reynolds, Jr., Arkansas, .341 avg, 10 HR, 41 RBI
SS Alex Meja, Jr., .357 avg, 5 triples, 46 RBI
SS Chris Diaz, Jr., NC State, .364 avg, 23 doubles, 50 RBI
OF Ralph Rhymes, Jr., LSU .453*, 96 hits, 212 Abs, on base percentage .508
OF Danny Poma, Sr., Hofstra, .430, 102 hits, 32* doubles
OF James Ramsey, Sr., FSU, 53 BB, 78 hits, .515 on base percentage
* Led NCAA Division-I
** Second in NCAA Division-I
Starting Pitchers
Kurt Heyer, Jr., Arizona, 12-2 record, 128 IP, 2.03 ERA, 7 CG
Trevor Williams, Soph, ASU., 12-2 record, 109 IP, 2.05 ERA
Trent Blank, Sr., Baylor, 10-1 record, 91 IP, 2.07 ERA
Kevin Gausman, Soph., 10-1 record, 107 IP, 125 K’s
Mark Appel, Jr., Stanford, 10 -1 record, 119 IP, 127 K’s, 2.27 ERA, 5 CG
Ross Stripling, Sr., Texas A&M, 110 Ks, 10-3 record, 118 IP, 5 CG
Nick Petree, Soph., Missouri St., 10-3 record, 0.92 ERA, 107 IP, 2 CG, 109 K’s
Pitcher of the Year
Chris Stratton, Jr., Miss St., 11-2 record, 109 innings pitched, 127 K’s, 2.38 ERA
All-Mariano Rivera Team
Michael Morin, Jr., North Carolina, 18 saves, 35 games, 55 innings pitched, 0.83 ERA
Jimmie Sherfy, Soph., Oregon, 17 saves, 32 games, 56 innings pitched, 2.29 ERA
Austin Maddox Jr., Florida, 12 saves, 29 games, 51 innings pitched
All-Tums Reliever
Barrett Astin, Arkansas, 10 saves, 2.22 ERA, 29 appearances, 52 IP, 58 K’s
Honorable Mention
C Josh Ludy, Sr., Baylor, .363 avg, 13 HR, 65 RBI
OF Travis Jankowski, Jr., Stony Brook, .411 avg
OF Brandon Miller, Sr., Samford, 23 homeruns*
1B George Roberts, Sr., Kent State, .368 avg, 18 doubles, 59 RBI
OF Sean Bignall, Sr., UA-Little Rock, .346 avg, 18 HR, 64 RBI
Freshman Sensation
Trea Turner, NC State, 55 stolen bases, 55 games, caught stealing 4 times
Michael Conforto, Oregon State, 71 RBI
Austin Cousino, Kentucky, .318 avg, 9 HR, 38 RBI
Pitchers
Aaron Nola, LSU, 82 strikeouts 7 walks, 11.71 K/BB ratio
Preston Morrison, TCU, 6.90 K/BB ratio, 1.80 ERA, 105 innings pitched
Carlos Rodon, NC State, 126 strikeouts, 105 innings pitched
All-Abraham Team
Keith Werman,Virginia, 25 sacrifice bunts, 55 games
Joe Meggs,Washington, 24 sacrifice bunts, 51 games
Brett Austin, NC State, 10 sacrifice flies, 56 games
Stretching Singles Player of the Year
OF Michael Faulkner, Arkansas State, 41 stolen bases, caught stealing once
Afraid to Strikeout Player of the Year
Maxx Tissenbaum, Jr., Stony Brook, 205 AB, 4 K’s, 51.3 AB/K ratio
Plate Coverage Better Than the Ump
Tanner Waite, New Mexico State, 58 games played, 69 base on balls