Four 'Canes Named BA Preseason All-Americans
Feb. 8, 2008
CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – University of Miami juniors Yonder Alonso, Dennis Raben, Blake Tekotte and Jemile Weeks have been named preseason All-Americans by Baseball America, released today. Miami led all teams with three first team selections in Alonso, Raben and Weeks while Tekotte was a third team preseason All-American. UM’s four players on the three teams were the most by any school represented.
<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Alonso is a first team selection as a designated hitter. He has already been named to the 2008 Preseason Watch List for the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award and was named a 2008 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Alonso earned second team All-ACC honors, second team All-America honors from Baseball America and Louisville Slugger third-team All-America honors by Collegiate Baseball in 2007. He led the team hitting .376 with an ACC-best 18 home runs and 74 RBIs. He had a good summer playing with the Brewster Whitecaps in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League and is rated as the fifth best college prospect in the 2008 Major League Baseball amateur draft by Baseball America.
Raben is one of three outfielders on the first team. He hit .280 with 61 hits in 60 games in 2007 for the Hurricanes. He had 26 extra-base hits, which included 13 doubles, a triple and 12 homers, which were the second-most on the team in 2007. He also drove in 48 runs and slugged .514. He is coming off a good summer playing for the Orleans Cardinals in the Cape Cod League. Raben led the Orleans Cardinals hitting .298 with 28 runs scored and a team-high 45 hits and 77 total bases. He totaled 18 extra-base hits, which included six home runs in adding a league-best 35 RBIs. He was fourth in the league in runs scored. He was named All-Cape Cod League for the Brewster Whitecaps and participated in the Cape Cod League All-Star game, where he finished second in the home run hitting contest. He finished the summer season as the seventh best prospect in the Cape Cod League and is rated the 12th best prospect in the 2008 Major League Baseball amateur draft by Baseball America.
Tekotte is a third team selection. Tekotte hit .333 for Miami in 2007 and finished with the third-most hits (73) on the team including a team-high 19 doubles. He had 25 RBI and led UM with 15 stolen bases. He too enjoyed a good summer. He was named All-Cape Cod League for the Brewster Whitecaps and participated in the Cape Cod League All-Star game. Tekotte hit .256 for the Whitecaps and led the team with 32 runs scored while ranking second on the team with 40 hits. He added 16 RBIs and led the Cape with 22 stolen bases.
Weeks is the second baseman on the first team. Weeks played in only 50 games for the Hurricanes due to injury, but hit .298 with 56 hits, 20 extra-base hits and 27 RBI. He had an ACC-best six triples and hit five home runs. He was named preseason All-American in 2007 and was on the 2007 Preseason Wallace Watch List. He was named second team All-ACC following his freshman season in 2006 and earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors. He is rated as the 19th best college prospect in the 2008 MLB amateur draft by Baseball America.
Miami opens its 2008 regular season Feb. 22-24 when the Hurricanes host Cincinnati for a three-game series at Mark Light Field.
2008 BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
First Team
C Buster Posey, Florida State
1B Justin Smoak, South Carolina
2B Jemile Weeks, Miami
3B Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt
SS Gordon Beckham, Georgia
OF Jordan Danks, Texas
OF Dennis Raben, Miami
OF Kyle Russell, Texas
DH Yonder Alonso, Miami
UT Zach Putnam, Michigan
P Aaron Crow, Missouri
P Christian Friedrich, Eastern Ky
P Brett Hunter, Pepperdine
P Brian Matusz, San Diego
P R. Perry, Arizona
UT Zach Putnam, Michigan
Second Team
C Petey Paramore, Arizona State
1B Allan Dykstra, Wake Forest
2B David Adams, Virginia
3B Conor Gillaspie, Wichita State
SS Brandon Crawford, UCLA
OF Ike Davis, Arizona State
OF Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt
OF Roger Kieschnick, Texas Tech
DH Brett Wallace, Arizona State
UT Josh Romanski, San Diego
P Luke Burnett, Louisiana Tech
P Shooter Hunt, Tulane
P Lance Lynn, Mississippi
P Cody Satterwhite, Mississippi
P Jacob Thompson, Virginia
UT Josh Romanski, San Diego
Third Team
C Tim Federowicz, North Carolina
1B David Cooper, California
2B Blake Stouffer, Texas A&M
3B James Darnell, South Carolina
SS Ryan Flaherty, Vanderbilt
OF Mike Bianucci, Auburn
OF T.J. Steele, Arizona
OF Blake Tekotte, Miami
DH Dustin Ackley, North Carolina
UT Jordy Mercer, Oklahoma State
P Joshua Fields, Georgia
P Preston Guilmet, Arizona
P Tyson Ross, California
P Tanner Scheppers, Fresno State
P Alex White, North Carolina
UT Jordy Mercer, Oklahoma State
