Dec. 24, 2007
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina junior third baseman James Darnell and junior first baseman Justin Smoak each were second team All-America selections on the 2008 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America team announced on Monday morning (December 24) by Collegiate Baseball. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 2 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball and will begin the season on Feb. 22 hosting East Carolina in a three-game series at Sarge Frye Field.
Smoak was a third team All-America selection by Baseball America last year after batting .315 with 22 HR and 72 RBI for the Gamecocks. He has 39 home runs in two seasons for Carolina and is just eight shy of the school record of 48 set by Hank Small (1972-73-74-75). He played this past summer on the USA Baseball National Team.
Darnell earned second team All-SEC honors at third base last year and was the team’s leading hitter with a .331 average with 19 HR and 63 RBI. Darnell also earned All-Star accolades this summer in his second season in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League, where he was among the leaders in home runs with eight round trippers. The eight homers this summer tied him for second in the CCBL.
Both players are also listed among the top 30 college prospects for the 2008 MLB Draft as compiled by Baseball America through discussions with scouts. Smoak is listed as the No. 3 top college prospect in the nation with Darnell coming in at No. 25 on the list.
South Carolina is one of only two schools in the nation to reach the NCAA Super Regionals in seven of the last eight years (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). Since the 2000 season, the Gamecocks are the only SEC squad to reach the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament each year and have compiled eight consecutive 40-plus win seasons. The Gamecocks have also put together a 388-155 record in that span, the fourth highest win total in Division I baseball as well as an SEC-best 147-92 in conference match-ups. That list also includes three trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004), two SEC Championships (2000, 2002) and one SEC Tournament title (2004).
FIRST TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Jacob Thompson, Virginia (11-0, 1.50 ERA, 101 K, 32 BB)
RHP Preston Guilmet, Arizona (12-2, 1.87 ERA, 146 K, 34 BB)
RHP Anthony Shawler, Old Dominion (11-2, 2.20 ERA, 130 K, 29 BB)
LHP Brian Matusz, San Diego (10-3, 2.85 ERA, 163 K, 37 BB)
LHP Josh Satow, Arizona St. (13-3, 2.76 ERA, 119 K, 53 BB)
RHP Scott Gorgen, U.C. Irvine (13-3, 2.83 ERA, 117 K, 41 BB)
Relief A.J. Griffin, San Diego (11 SV, 6-2 record, 2.70 ERA)
C Buster Posey, Florida St. (.382, 3 HR, 21 2B, 65 RBI)
1B Brett Wallace, Arizona St. (.404, 16 HR, 17 2B, 78 RBI)
2B Blake Stouffer, Texas A&M (.398, 12 HR, 23 2B, 85 RBI, 22 SB)
2B Johnny Giavotella, New Orleans (.385, 15 HR, 19 2B, 65 RBI, 17 SB)
3B Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt (.386, 18 HR, 21 2B, 68 RBI)
SS Alex Buchholz, Delaware (.387, 11 HR, 27 2B, 63 RBI)
OF Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt (.378, 20 HR, 23 2B, 62 RBI, 20 SB)
OF Kyle Russell, Texas (.336, 28 HR, 11 2B, 71 RBI, 10 SB)
OF Brad McElroy, Charlotte (.401, 11 HR, 26 2B, 68 RBI, 14 SB)
UT Josh Romanski, San Diego (9-1 pitching record, 3.05 ERA, 92 K, 24 BB, .335 BA, 10 2B)
SECOND TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Ryan Berry, Rice
RHP Bobby Gagg, Coastal Carolina
RHP Mike Leake, Arizona St.
RHP & LHP Pat Venditte, Creighton
LHP Cole St. Clair, Rice
RHP Aaron Shafer, Wichita St.
Relief Rob Wooten, North Carolina
Relief Robbie Elsemiller, Stetson
C Ryan Lavarnway, Yale
C Blake Murphy, Western Carolina
1B Justin Smoak, South Carolina
1B Dustin Ackley, North Carolina
1B Yonder Alonso, Miami (Fla.)
2B Brandon Turner, Mississippi St.
3B Conor Gillaspie, Wichita St.
3B James Darnell, South Carolina
SS Ryan Flaherty, Vanderbilt
OF Jordan Danks, Texas
OF Collin Cowgill, Kentucky
OF Aaron Luna, Rice
OF Jack Rye, Florida St.
OF Tommy Baldridge, Coastal Carolina
UT Zach Putnam, Michigan
THIRD TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS
RHP Mike Stutes, Oregon St.
RHP Jorge Reyes, Oregon St.
RHP Tyson Ross, California
RHP Lance Lynn, Mississippi
RHP Aaron Crow, Missouri
RHP Adam Warren, North Carolina
RHP Zack Pitts, Louisville
LHP Rob Musgrave, Wichita St.
LHP Anthony Capra, Wichita St.
LHP Christian Friedrich, Eastern Kentucky
Relief Daniel Schlereth, Arizona
Relief Matt Gorgen, California
Relief Drew O’Neil, Penn St.
Relief Eryk McConnell, North Carolina St.
C Tim Federowicz, North Carolina
C Doug Hogan, Clemson
1B Ryne White, Purdue
1B Nate Recknagel, Michigan
1B Allan Dykstra, Wake Forest
1B C.J. Ziegler, Arizona
1B Ike Davis, Arizona St.
2B David Adams, Virginia
3B William Block, Florida Atlantic
3B Chris Dominguez, Louisville
SS Jason Christian, Michigan
SS Brandon Crawford, UCLA
SS Danny Espinosa, Long Beach St.
OF Mike McKenna, Florida Atlantic
OF Clay Whittemore, Jacksonville St.
OF Dave Sappelt, Coastal Carolina
OF Tyler Stovall, Central Michigan
OF David Rubinstein, Appalachian St.
UT Cole White, Army
