? Louisville Slugger preseason All-America teams
| Michael Rockett | Zach Calhoon |
TUCSON, Ariz. ? Senior center fielder Michael Rockett and junior closer Zach Calhoon were named Louisville Slugger preseason third-team All-Americans, Collegiate Baseball announced on Tuesday.
Rockett was a preseason first-team All-America choice by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) last week and also is a member of the Brooks Wallace Award (nation'a top player) preseason watch list.
The Sugar Land native is coming off a junior season that saw him collect second-team honors from the NCBWA and third-team accolades from Collegiate Baseball.
Rockett helped lead UTSA to a school-record-tying 39 wins last season and its second consecutive Southland Conference Regular Season Championship. The SLC Player of the Year hit .360 with a school-record 25 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 68 RBIs (t-No. 2 UTSA history) last year. He also scored 60 runs (No. 5 UTSA history), recorded 154 total bases for a .623 slugging percentage and stole nine bases. The 2006 Freshman All-American led the Roadrunners in at-bats (247/t-No. 2 UTSA history), batting average, hits (89/t-No. 2 UTSA history), doubles, triples and total bases in addition to ranking second in multi-hit contests (26), homers, RBIs, multi-RBI games (19), slugging percentage and steals.
One of the top defensive center fielders in the country, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder made several highlight-reel catches in addition to recording a team-high seven outfield assists, all of which resulted in runners being gunned down at the plate. Rockett was just as productive during the 30-game conference slate, posting a .370 batting average to go along with 31 runs, 14 two-baggers, three triples, five homers, 36 RBIs and five stolen bases.
He was named Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on March 3 after hitting for the second cycle in school history on March 1 against Sacred Heart. Not only did he accomplish the feat in just four innings, but Rockett also had a career-high six RBIs in the 16-2 victory at Wolff Stadium.
Calhoon was the SLC's most dominant closer last spring, saving a UTSA-record and conference-leading 13 games (in 15 chances), a mark that ranked eighth nationally. The 2009 NCBWA preseason third-team All-American saved his first 10 chances of the season and had a 4-1 record and 1.54 ERA in his 26 games out of the bullpen. The Spring native allowed just 22 hits (.153 BAA) and struck out 54 in 41 innings, did not give up an earned run in 20 of his appearances and won or saved 44 percent (17) of the Roadrunners' school-record-tying 39 victories last year. He pitched more than an inning in six of his saves and tossed a career-high five frames in winning UTSA's 11-9, 12-inning contest at Houston on April 30.
Calhoon set the program's all-time mark on April 4 at Southeastern Louisiana with his 12th career save and stretched that record to 19.
He saved a league-high 11 contests in SLC action, which accounted for exactly half of the team's 22 victories, and also was 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 29 punchouts in 21 innings of work.
"It is a great honor for Michael and Zach to be named to the preseason All-America teams," ninth-year head coach Sherman Corbett said after the pair was honored by the NCBWA last week "They are in the company of many great collegiate baseball players and both are very deserving to be recognized by the writers. Michael and Zach have tremendous work ethics and have established a high standard of achievement. To be recognized for their efforts is rewarding to them, as it is for our program. I am extremely proud of them and know they are looking forward to even more productive years this spring."
Rockett and Calhoon were the only players from the Southland Conference to be named to the All-America squads.