Baseball America Names Four C-USA Players All-Americans

Michael Aubrey

Tulane first baseman Michael Aubrey and Houston reliever Ryan Wagner have been named as first team All-Americans by Baseball America, the publication announced today. The only conference that had more first team selections than Conference USA was the Big 12, with three first-teamers. Southern Miss outfielders Jeff Cook and Clint King were each named as third team All-Americans.

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 led Conference USA with a .420 batting average and a .505 on-base percentage, while also topping the circuit in hits (102) and RBI (79), while smacking 18 home runs and 20 doubles.

Wagner set a school record with 15 saves this season and his 148 strikeouts (in just 79 1/3 innings pitched) rank third on the school’s single-season list. With an average of 16.8 strikeouts per nine innings, he broke the 39-year old NCAA record in that category.

King and Cook combined to form USM’s version of the “Bash Brothers.” King and Cook were the top two home run producers in Conference USA, with both players matching the school record with 23 homers this season. King closed out his 203 campaign ranked in the school’s single-season Top 10 in batting average (6th at .394), slugging percentage (3rd at .772), doubles (tied for 5th at 23) and RBI (4th with 77). Cook batted .374 for the season with 76 RBI and a .728 slugging percentage (both fifth on USM’s single-season charts).