Baseball America has released it Preseason All-American college baseball teams.  BA 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.

Virginia outfielder Jarrett Parker was named to the first team, along with Georgia Tech pitchers Deck McGuire and Kevin Jacob. The second team includes Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, Florida State pitcher Tyler Holt, Boston College designated hitter Mickey Wiswall and Virginia pitcher/first baseman Danny Hultzen. Virginia Tech outfielder Austin Wates and pitcher Jesse Hahn were third-team selections, along with Florida State outfielder/pitcher Mike McGee.
Alabama second baseman Ross Wilson is the only repeat member of the preseason first team. Cal State Fullerton shortstop Christian Colon is also a repeat preseason All-American, but he moves up from the third team last year to the first team this year. Middle Tennessee State outfielder Bryce Brentz—who also received votes as a two-way player—is the only player who appeared on every scouting director’s ballot.

Rice’s Anthony Rendon and Arkansas’ Zack Cox are the only sophomores on the first team, which is otherwise dominated by juniors. There are four sophomores on the second team and three on the third team, but there are no seniors on any of the three teams.

The SEC led all conferences with 13 preseason selections to the team.  The ACC had 10 players tabbed.   The Big 12 and Conference USA each landed four players on the team, while the Pacific-10, Big West and Big Ten produced two All-Americans apiece. Eight other conferences placed one player apiece on the team: The Atlantic Sun, Big East, Mid-American, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, Southland, Sun Belt and West Coast conferences.

First Team

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

Second Team

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

Third Team

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