The University of Mississippi Athletics
Coghlan, Wright Named Preseason All-America Selections By Collegiate Baseball
12/30/2005 | Baseball
Dec. 30, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - The excitement for the upcoming baseball season continues to mount for Ole Miss as a pair of Rebels were honored recently when juniors Chris Coghlan and Mark Wright were named to the pre-season Louisville Slugger All-America Second Team by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Both Coghlan and Wright return to lead an Ole Miss team that finished the 2005 season with a school record 48 wins, a SEC Western Division title and played host to its second consecutive NCAA Regional and first-ever Super Regional.
Six players from the Southeastern Conference made one of the three teams with Florida, Tennessee and Ole Miss all having two representatives each. LSU was the only other SEC school to place a member on the team. Florida's Matt LaPorta is the only player to be named to the First Team, while J.P. Arencibia from Tennessee joined Coghlan and Wright on the second team.
"This is a tremendous honor for both of these young men, certainly we are very proud of them and they are well deserving of this honor," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "They have earned this recognition for what they have done for our program over the past two seasons, and we are looking forward to what they can do for us in the upcoming season."
Coghlan returns to help anchor the Rebel infield after being a part of a defense that finished in the top 10 nationally in 2005 with a .974 fielding percentage. The third baseman was an All-SEC Second Team selection as he helped push the Rebels throughout the record-breaking season and into the post-season. The junior from Palm Beach, Fla., hit .365 for the year with 57 RBI and a team-leading 22 doubles. He is the second leading hitter by percentage returning for the Rebels in the 2006 season.
Wright, who flew under the radar when it came time for awards at the end of the 2005 season, proved to be a consistent performer for the Rebels and was rewarded for his efforts with his selection to the pre-season All-America team.
Wright hit .311 for the season with 51 RBI and 13 home runs on the year. The outfielder's 51 RBI was the fourth most on the team last season, while his 13 home runs was third on the team in production. The junior, who started 64-of-65 games he played last season, will be looked to for leadership as the most experienced starter returning in the outfield for the Rebels returning from last year's squad.
Ole Miss opens the 2006 campaign with a three-game home stand against St. Louis beginning on Friday, February 17. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. The three-game set with the Billikens is the first start of a 14-game home stand for the Rebels to open the season.
FIRST TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANSRHP Dallas Buck, Oregon St. (12-1, 2.09 ERA, 118 K, 51 BB)LHP Andrew Miller, North Carolina (8-4, 2.98 ERA, 104 K, 52 BB)RHP Max Scherzer, Missouri (9-4, 1.86 ERA, 131 K, 41 BB)RHP Joba Chamberlain, Nebraska (10-2, 2.81 ERA, 130 K, 33 BB)RHP Kyle McCulloch, Texas (12-4, 2.92 ERA, 99 K, 45 BB)RHP Ian Kennedy, Southern California (12-3, 2.54 ERA, 158 K, 38 BB)Relief Brett Jensen, Nebraska (16 SV, 1.96 ERA, 46 K, 9 BB)C Chad Tracy, Pepperdine (.367, 22 2B, 12 HR, 61 RBI)1B Matt LaPorta, Florida (.328, 26 HR, 16 2B, 79 RBI)2B Taylor Harbin, Clemson (.343, 28 2B, 10 HR, 63 RBI)3B Wes Hodges, Georgia Tech. (.397, 18 2B, 9 HR, 51 RBI)SS Jay Heafner, Davidson (.448, 18 2B, 11 HR, 58 RBI, 13 SB)OF Shane Robinson, Florida St. (.427, 25 2B, 49 SB, 40-game hitting streak)OF Drew Stubbs, Texas (.311, 20 2B, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 32 SB)OF Nathan Southard, Tulane (.341, 24 2B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 16 SB)DH Chris Carlson, New Mexico (.395, 24 2B, 15 HR, 79 RBI)UT Joe Savery, Rice (.382, 17 2B, 8-5 pitching record, 2.43 ERA, 129 K, 37 BB)
SECOND TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANSRHP Mickey Storey, Florida AtlanticLHP Nick Hill, ArmyLHP Scott Reese, CreightonRHP Luke Trubee, DaytonRHP Johnny Dorn, NebraskaRHP Jonah Nickerson, Oregon St.RHP Adrian Alaniz, TexasRelief Blair Erickson, U.C. IrvineRelief Kevin Gunderson, Oregon St.C Jeff Kunkel, MichiganC J.P. Arencibia, Tennessee1B Matt Rizzotti, Manhattan1B Luke Hopkins, New Mexico St.2B Jordan Pacheco, New Mexico3B Chris Coghlan, MississippiSS Josh Rodriguez, RiceOF Mark Wright, MississippiOF Jon Jay, Miami (Fla.)OF John Raynor, N.C. WilmingtonUT Heath Rollins, Winthrop
THIRD TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANSRHP Kenn Kasparek, TexasRHP Eddie Degerman, RiceRHP Blake Wood, Georgia Tech.LHP Clay Dirks, Louisiana St.RHP Tim Lincecum, WashingtonRHP Tim Bascom, Central FloridaLHP Keith Weiser, Miami (Ohio)LHP James Adkins, TennesseeRHP Daniel Bard, North CarolinaRelief Daniel Best, Southern MississippiRelief Tyler Chambliss, Florida St.Relief Vinnie Pestano, Cal. St. FullertonRelief Darren O'Day, FloridaRelief Paul Koss, Southern CaliforniaC Jordan Newton, Western KentuckyC Michael Ambort, Lamar1B Justin Baum, Pacific1B Aaron Bates, North Carolina St.1B Mike Priest, Campbell1B Aaron Grijalva, Liberty1B Chris Johnson, Stetson2B Jim Negrych, Pittsburgh2B Chris Campbell, Charleston2B Scott Sizemore, Va. Commonwealth3B Evan Longoria, Long Beach St.3B Brad Emaus, Tulane3B Derek Schermerhorn, Wichita St.3B Beau Mills, Fresno St.3B Matt Poulk, N.C. WilmingtonSS Mitch Hilligoss, PurdueSS Chuck Hargis, East Tennessee St.OF Brennan Boesch, CaliforniaOF Mike McBryde, Florida AtlanticOF Shane Byrne, East Tennessee St.OF Jeremy Jones, North Carolina A&TUT Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech.