Grandal Earns First Team All-America Preseason Honors
Dec. 21, 2009
TUSCON, Ariz. – University of Miami junior Yasmani Grandal has been named a Louisville Slugger First Team All-America preseason selection for the 2010 season, as announced Monday by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Grandal emerged last season as one of the top power hitters in the Atlantic Coast Conference, leading the Hurricanes and all ACC catchers with 16 home runs. The Miami native led the `Canes with a 1.081 OPS in 2009 en route to earning All-ACC second team honors. He finished his sophomore season ranking second on the team in slugging percentage (.599) and total bases (118), while collecting 45 RBI and 48 runs scored in 59 games.
In his two seasons in Coral Gables, Grandal has 23 home runs, 73 RBI and a .978 fielding percentage in 97 career games. After hitting .234 as a freshman in 2008, he improved his average by 65 points last year to .299. Over the summer, Grandal was a key member of Team USA during its championship run at the 2009 World Baseball Challenge.
Four ACC players were selected to the first team, including 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year Deck McGuire of Georgia Tech, Virginia outfielder Jarrett Parker and Florida State outfielder Tyler Holt in addition to Grandal.
Grandal’s selection marks the second straight year a Hurricane was named to the Louisville Slugger preseason first team after left-hander Chris Hernandez earned first team honors a year ago.
The pre-season pick as National Player of The Year for the 2010 season is LSU’s RHP Anthony Ranaudo. The 6-foot-7, 231-pounder is expected to be a high first round pick in next June’s Free Agent Draft after striking out 159 batters in 124 1/3 innings last season with only 50 walks as he posted a 12-3 record and a 3.04 ERA.
Miami opens its 2010 season at Alex Rodriguez Park on Friday, Feb. 19 against Rutgers. The `Canes 56-game slate features an exhibition contest against the Florida Marlins in Jupiter on March 3, 19 games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams and a total of 44 games played inside the state of Florida.
For ticket information for the 2010 baseball season, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit www.hurricanesports.com.
FIRST TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Anthony Ranaudo, Louisiana St. (12-3, 3.04 ERA, 159 K, 50 BB in 124 1/3 IP)
RHP Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech (11-2, 3.50 ERA, 118 K, 41 BB, 100 1/3 IP)
LHP Daniel Bibona, U.C. Irvine (12-1, 2.63 ERA, 108 K, 26 BB, 106 IP)
RHP Taylor Jungmann, Texas (11-3, 2.00 ERA, 101 K, 35 BB, 94 2/3 IP)
RHP Chance Ruffin, Texas (10-2, 3.32 ERA, 115 K, 25 BB, 124 2/3 IP)
LHP Josh Spence, Arizona St. (10-1, 2.37 ERA, 125 K, 30 BB, 102 2/3 IP)
Relief Addison Reed, San Diego St. (20 SV, 0.65 ERA, 38 K, 7 BB, 27 2/3 IP)
C Yasmani Grandal, Miami (Great defense, .299, 16 HR, 11 2B, 45 RBI)
1B Cody Hawn, Tennessee (.364, 22 HR, 15 2B, 81 RBI)
2B Danny Muno, Fresno St. (Great defense, .379, 25 2B, 41 RBI, 64 walks, 13 SB)
3B Tony Thompson, Kansas (.389, 21 HR, 27 2B, 82 RBI, won Big 12 triple crown)
SS Christian Colon, Cal. St. Fullerton (Great defense, .357, 16 2B, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 15 SB)
OF Jarrett Parker, Virginia (.355, 16 HR, 20 2B, 65 RBI, 20 SB)
OF Tyler Holt, Florida St. (.401, 23 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 34 SB)
OF Matt Townsend, James Madison (.390, 17 HR, 17 2B, 59 RBI, 17 SB)
DH Kyle Roller, East Carolina (.336, 16 HR, 12 2B, 75 RBI, MVP of Cape Cod League)
UT Bryce Brentz, Middle Tenn. St. (.465, 28 HR, 19 2B, 73 RBI, 5-3 as pitcher, 4.57 ERA, 63 K)
