Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech juniors Austin Wates and Jesse Hahn have been named third-team preseason All-Americans by Baseball America, the publication announced on Friday.
The Atlantic Coast Conference placed 10 players on the team, behind only the Southeastern Conference’s 13.
Baseball America annually polls major league scouting directors to vote on the team and make their selections based on performance, talent and professional 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. For example, 11 of the 15 college players drafted in the first round last June appeared on Baseball America's preseason All-America list—eight of them on the first team. And for the second year in a row, 11 of last year's preseason All-Americans played for teams that reached the College World Series.
The honor is the second of the preseason for Wates, who was also named to the third team by Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger. The outfielder/first baseman ranked fourth in the ACC last season with a .397 batting average. He led the team with 77 hits, 20 doubles, 118 total bases and a .608 slugging percentage, while adding 50 runs scored, three triples and five homers. He also swiped 16 bases in 17 attempts.
He then tore it up in the Cape Cod League over the summer, where he was ranked as the 15th best pro prospect by Baseball America. He was named an all-league team outfielder after finishing the season fourth in the league with a .312 batting average. In 40 games for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, he tallied eight doubles, two triples, 21 RBIs and 12 steals. He was a starter in the mid-season all-star game at Fenway Park.
It is also the second nod of the preseason for Hahn, who was named a preseason All-American by PGCrosschecker.com, a Web site that is a division of Perfect Game USA. The right-handed pitcher went 1-2 with a save and 23 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched as a sophomore. He then went 1-1 with a save and 17 strikeouts in 15.1 innings of work over the summer for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League, where he was named the eighth-best pro prospect in the league by Baseball America.
Hahn, Wates and the rest of the Hokies are slated to begin the 2010 season on Feb. 19 against Kentucky in the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Conway, S.C.
2010 Baseball America Preseason All-America Teams
First Team
Pos. Player, School
C Micah Gibbs, Louisiana State
1B Hunter Morris, Auburn
2B Ross Wilson, Alabama
3B Anthony Rendon, Rice
SS Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton
OF Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee State
OF Todd Cunningham, Jacksonville State
OF Jarrett Parker, Virginia
DH Zack Cox, Arkansas
UT Brett Eibner, Arkansas
SP Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech
SP Drew Pomeranz, Mississippi
SP Anthony Ranaudo, Louisiana State
SP Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast
RP Kevin Jacob, Georgia Tech
UT Brett Eibner, Arkansas
Second Team
Pos. Player, School
C Yasmani Grandal, Miami
1B Andy Wilkins, Arkansas
2B Kolbrin Vitek, Ball State
3B Tony Thompson, Kansas
SS Rick Hague, Rice
OF Gary Brown, Cal State Fullerton
OF Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington
OF Tyler Holt, Florida State
DH Mickey Wiswall, Boston College
UT Danny Hultzen, Virginia
SP Gerrit Cole, UCLA
SP Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt
SP Taylor Jungmann, Texas
SP Alex Wimmers, Ohio State
RP Kevin Rhoderick, Oregon State
UT Danny Hultzen, Virginia
Third Team
Pos. Player, School
C Cameron Rupp, Texas
1B Cody Hawn, Tennessee
2B Chris Bisson, Kentucky
3B Rob Segedin, Tulane
SS B.A. Vollmuth, Southern Mississippi
OF Ryan LaMarre, Michigan
OF Leon Landry, Louisiana State
OF Austin Wates, Virginia Tech
DH Jedd Gyorko, West Virginia
UT Mike McGee, Florida State
SP Jack Armstrong, Vanderbilt
SP Kyle Blair, San Diego
SP Jesse Hahn, Virginia Tech
SP Brandon Workman, Texas
RP Addison Reed, San Diego State
UT Mike McGee, Florida State