A total of five Conference USA players were named to the Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball All-American team, it was announced today. Houston sophomore reliever Ryan Wagner was named to the first team, Tulane junior first baseman Michael Aubrey was listed on the second team and TCU righthander Clayton Jerome was joined by Southern Miss outfielders Jeff Cook and Clint King as third team selections.

Wagner set a school record with 13 saves this season and his 130 strikeouts (in just 69 1/3 innings pitched) rank third on the school’s single-season list. With an average of 16.8 strikeouts per nine innings, he is one pace to break the NCAA record in that category.

Aubrey, the Conference USA Player of the Year, is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy and the Smith Award, all representing the best player in collegiate baseball. He leads Conference USA with a .418 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage, while also topping the circuit in hits (97) and RBI (77), while smacking 17 home runs and 18 doubles.

Jerome earned C-USA’s Pitcher of the Year honors this season, becoming the first conference Pitcher of the Year in TCU history. He finished the 2003 season with a 9-4 record, which included five complete games. His 2.34 ERA ranked third in C-USA and his 106 strikeouts tied for third.

King and Cook are the top two home run producers in Conference USA, with King smashing 22 homers and Cook bashing 21 round-trippers entering NCAA regional play. King has driven in 71 runs this season to rank sixth on USM’s single-season list, while Cook is one spot behind him with 70. King’s .397 batting average is second in C-USA, while Cook ranks fourth with a .378 average. King and Cook are the first All-Americans for Southern Miss since 1994.


2003 LOUISVILLE SLUGGER/COLLEGIATE BASEBALL ALL-AMERICANS

FIRST TEAM
Pitchers
RHP Jeff Niemann, Rice
LHP Scott Lewis, Ohio St.
LHP David Marchbanks, South Carolina
RHP Vern Sterry, North Carolina St.
RHP Jered Weaver, Long Beach St.
RHP Tim Stauffer, Richmond
Rel. Ryan Wagner, Houston

Position Players
C Ryan Garko, Stanford
1B Billy Becher, New Mexico St.
2B Rickie Weeks, Southern
3B Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest
SS Dustin Pedroia, Arizona St.
OF Josh Anderson, Eastern Kentucky
OF Jordan Foster, Lamar
OF Brad Snyder, Ball St.
DH Ryan Gordon, N.C. Greensboro
UT Scott Beerer, Texas A&M

SECOND TEAM
Pitchers
LHP Glen Perkins, Minnesota
RHP Wade Townsend, Rice
RHP John Hudgins, Stanford
RHP Chris Niesel, Notre Dame
LHP Abe Alvarez, Long Beach St.
LHP Trent Peterson, Florida St.
RHP Barry Hertzler, Central Connecticut St.
Rel. Huston Street, Texas

Position Players
C Tony Richie, Florida St.
C Mitch Maier, Toledo
1B Michael Aubrey, Tulane
1B Jeff Larish, Arizona St.
2B Lee Curtis, Coll. of Charleston
3B Ryan Roberts, Texas-Arlington
SS Aaron Hill, Louisiana St.
OF Shane Costa, Cal. St. Fullerton
OF Jeremy Cleveland, North Carolina
OF Adam Boeve, Northern Iowa
UT John Gragg, Bethune-Cookman

THIRD TEAM
Pitchers
LHP Jeremy Plexico, Winthrop
RHP Tom Mastny, Furman
LHP Aaron Marsden, Nebraska
RHP Clayton Jerome, TCU
LHP Randy Beam, Florida Atlantic
LHP Paul Maholm, Mississippi St.
RHP Kyle Sleeth, Wake Forest
LHP Tim Alvarez, S.E. Missouri St.
RHP Philip Humber, Rice
Rel. Daniel Hodges, Florida St.
Rel. Will Fenton, Washington
Rel. Steven Register, Auburn
Rel. Chad Cordero, Cal. St. Fullerton

Position Players
C Jason Jaramillo, Oklahoma St.
C David Castillo, Oral Roberts
1B Matt Hopper, Nebraska
1B Kelly Hunt, Bowling Green
1B Eddie Kim, James Madison
1B Chris Alexander, New Mexico
2B Luke Appert, Minnesota
2B Marc Tugwell, Virginia Tech.
2B Justin Christian, S.E. Missouri St.
2B Enrique Cruz, Rice
3B Neil Sellers, Eastern Kentucky
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, Nevada
3B Brian Buscher, South Carolina
3B Brian Snyder, Stetson
SS Anthony Lunetta, Southern California
SS Dusty Young, New Mexico
SS Stephen Drew, Florida St.
OF Clint King, Southern Miss
OF Jeff Cook, Southern Miss
OF Jeff Van Houten, Arizona
OF Dustin Majewski, Texas