2007 All Big 12 Baseball Teams
Here are my All-Big 12 teams for 2007. I break down three teams, the returnees to the league, the transfers and the freshmen. Texas A&M is represented by; Jason Meyer (First-Team Returnees); Kyle Colligan and Blake Stouffer (Second-Team Returnees); Brandon Hicks, David Newman, and Kirkland Rivers (Transfer). Others considered, and would have a made second-team transfer were Dane Carter and Ben Feltner.
2007 All Big 12 Returning Team
C Matt Smith, Texas Tech
2006 Honors: First Team All-Big 12 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Second Team
All-Big 12 - Austin American Statesman and Big 12 Coaches - Named to the Johnny
Bench Award Watch List.... Ended the season with a team-leading .377 batting
average...16 doubles (team leader), one triple, seven home runs, 46
RBI...totaled 22 multiple-hit games, 12 multiple-RBI games...made 39 starts
behind the plate and 10 as the designated hitter...Suffered an MCL injury to his
left knee in the second game of the KSU series on April 14th and after missing
nine games he returned to the Tech lineup where he spent the remaining of the
season as the designated hitter
1B Chance Wheeless, Texas
2006 season · Appeared in 57 games while starting 54 of those contests at first
base…Hit .283 while ranking among the top five on the squad in runs (47 -
3rd), doubles (13 - 4th) and stolen bases (5 - 5th)…Owned one triple, two home
runs and 30 RBI as well as 17 multi-hit tilts, seven multi-RBI efforts, four
game-winning RBI and 11 two-out RBI… Registered an eight-game hitting streak…Started
each of Texas' 26 conference games at first base…Hit .274 in league play while
ranking second on the team as well as in the conference with 24 runs scored.
Also ranked among the top five on the squad in terms of Big 12 hits (31 - 3rd),
RBI (13 - 5th), doubles (8 - 2nd), triples (1 - t2nd) and total bases (44 - 4th)…Recorded
a .370 (10-for-27) average during postseason play to go along with six runs
scored, one double, one stolen base and a team-high nine RBI…Also batted .400
(6-for-15) and .333, respectively, during Big 12 Tournament and Austin NCAA
Regional action.
IF Tyler Mach, Oklahoma State
2006: Started 60 games ... was named Big 12 Conference Co-Player of the Year ...
named a first-team All-American by the College Baseball Foundation and
Louisville Slugger ... was a first-team All-Midwest Region pick and second-team
All-American by the ABCA ... one of 30 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace
Award ... two-time Big 12 Player of the Week, (4/18) and (5/2) ... led the Big
12 with 16 home runs and his 66 RBIs ranked third ... also finished eighth in
the league in batting average at .364 ... hit safely in 51 of the 60 games he
played in ... had hitting streaks of 17 and 16 games, the top two streaks on the
team ... led team with 24 multi-hit games, including 13 games with at least
three hits ... produced multiple RBIs in a team-high 19 games, with three or
more RBIs in seven of those contests ... hit .351 with seven homers and 20 RBIs
in conference play ... in the Texas series was 7-for-11 with four RBIs ... was
5-for-5 with two RBIs against the Longhorns in the series finale (3/26) ... had
a career-high five RBIs against DBU (4/11) ... drafted by St. Louis in 40th
round of June's Major League Baseball Draft.
IF Ryan Wehrle, Nebraska
Wehrle became the first Husker shortstop in 21 seasons to earn first-team
all-conference honors in 2006, hitting a team-best .367 with eight homers and 49
RBIs. Wehrle led NU in average and ranked second on the squad in RBIs, while
also going a perfect 14-for-14 on the basepaths. A two-year starter, Wehrle also
enjoyed a strong performance in the field, posting a .949 fielding percentage
while starting 57 contests. An 18th round selection by the Cincinnati Reds in
last summer's MLB Draft, Wehrle also elected to return to Nebraska for the
upcoming season.
IF Beemer Weems, Baylor
A 2006 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America selection, Weems (.297, 8 HR, 47
RBI in 2006) anchors the Baylor infield at shortstop. Weems started all but one
game at short last season, the first Baylor true freshman to start at short
since Jace Brewer in 1999. A second-team All-Big 12 selection by the league's
coaches last season, Weems tallied the most home runs by a Baylor freshman since
Matt Williams had nine in 1998 and the most by a Baylor shortstop since Brewer
also had eight in 2000. However, Weems first made a name for himself with solid
defensive play; he committed only 10 errors in 262 chances, and only two of
those were fielding errors. Weems was one of only three freshmen nationally to
commit 10 or fewer errors at shortstop, and he was the only of those three to
start at least 60 games
OF Roger Kieschnick, Texas Tech
2006 Honors: Most heralded freshman at Texas Tech since Josh Bard and became the
first Red Raider to sweep Freshman of the Year Honors...earned Freshman Player
of the Year accolades from The Dallas Morning News, Austin American Statesman,
San Antonio Express-News, The Oklahoman, Waco Tribune-Herald, Fort Worth
Star-Telegram and the Big 12 Coaches....First Team All-Big 12 - The Dallas
Morning News, Big 12 Coaches...Second Team All-Big 12 - Austin American
Statesman...Ended his freshman campaign with the second best batting average on
the team (.359) behind Matt Smith...led the squad with 29 multiple-hit games and
was third with 11 multiple-RBI games...added 85 total hits,14 doubles, two
triples and a team-high 55 RBI...his nine home runs on the season are the most
by a Tech freshman since Josh Bard hit 13 back in 1997...was 8-for-10 in stolen
bases and committed just one error all season...hit safely in 48 of 58
games...started all 58 games of the season (55 in left field and three as the
designated hitter)
OF Corey Brown, Oklahoma State
2006: Played in 57 games, starting 55 ... was a second-team All-Big 12 pick ...
earned third-team All-American honors from Baseball America ... was selected to
the all-tournament team at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional ... hit two home runs
and collected three RBIs at the Regional ... led the Cowboys in runs (68) and
walks (42) and was second on the team in hits (75) ... finished third on the
club with a .359 batting average ... batted in the leadoff spot for most of the
season ... split time between right field and center field ... stole a
career-high 14 bases ... had multiple hits in 21 games, which tied for the third
highest on the club ... set a career high with four hits in the season opener
vs. South Alabama ... collected a career-high four RBIs against UAPB (4/25) ...
tied his career high with four hits against Pepperdine (3/12) ... his 13-game
hitting streak was the second-longest hitting streak on the team in 2006.
OF Evan Fry, Missouri
2006 Malibu Regional All-Tournament Team…Became the Tigers' starter in
centerfield ... was second on the team with a .337 batting average ...had an
11-game hitting streak from March 4 to March 26, during which he hit .463 with
nine RBI, two triples and a double ... had five multi-hit games during the
streak, including four 3-hit games ... was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs
scored against Purdue on March 11 ... had back-to-back three-hit games in the
first two games of the series at Texas A&M ... was 7-for-15 in three games
against Texas A&M ... had two hits in each game of the three-game set with
Nebraska, finishing 6-for-12 in the series ... was 6-for-13 in three-games at
Oklahoma, including a 3-for-4 game in the series finale ... went 4-for-6 with
two runs scored against Southeast Missouri State on April 26 ... finished the
season with hits in six of the final seven games ... had 16 multi-hit games on
the year ... was named an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection ...
led the team with a .457 on-base percentage, which ranked fifth in the Big 12
Conference ... had three triples on the season ... was third on the team in
walks (29), fourth in stolen bases (9) and fifth in hits (64).
UT Jordy Mercer, Oklahoma State
2006: Played in 59 games ... started 54 games at shortstop ... made 12
appearances on the mound, including one start ... was a first-team All-Big 12
selection as a utility player ... tabbed a Freshman All-American as a
multi-position athlete by Louisville Slugger ... was 5-0 on the mound with a
team-leading five saves ... in first career pitching appearance (3/12), picked
up a win against Pepperdine by striking out four in three scoreless innings of
relief ... against UTA (3/ 21), pitched two scoreless, hitless innings for the
win and drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the bottom of the eighth ...
in the Texas A&M series, he was 6-for-12 with four RBIs and was the winning
pitcher in the opener and the finale ... hit the first home run of his career
against the Aggies (4/1) ... also drove in the winning run in that game with a
ninth-inning single ... first-career save came against Kansas (4/14) ... had
four hits in the Bedlam series, including two home runs ... made two relief
appearances at the Fayetteville Regional ... earned a save against Arkansas
(6/4) as he allowed just one run and struck out three in 2.1 innings ... played
for the NBC World Series champion Santa Barbara Foresters over the summer.
DH Jacob Priday, Missouri
2006 Led the team with 11 home runs ... was a first team All-Big 12 Conference
selection ... had the second five-hit game of his career, when he went 5-for-6
with two doubles and three RBI against then-No. 1 Florida on Feb. 24 ... hit
first homer of the season against Saint Louis on March 7 ... drove in six runs
in a three-hit performance against Purdue on March 11 ... followed that with a
home run and three RBI the next day in the series finale against Purdue ... was
named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week on March 14 after hitting .533
the previous week ... drove in three runs without getting a hit in the final
game of the Kansas State series ... had a team-best 14-game hitting streak from
March 26 to April 22 ... had two hits and a pair of RBI in each of the final two
games of the series at Oklahoma ... hit two home runs and drove in three against
Southeast Missouri State on April 26 ... drove in six runs and had two home runs
in three-game series against Mississippi Valley State ... had a home run and
drove in two in opener of Texas series ... was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI
against Pepperdine in the final game of the Malibu Regional ... led Mizzou with
49 RBI on the year ... was second on the team in doubles (13), third in runs
scored (42), fourth in hits (66) and fifth in stolen bases (7) ... enters 2007
season with 233 career at-bats, which is tied for ninth most all-time ... named
to Academic All-Big 12 Team.
P Tony Watson, Nebraska
Watson returns to anchor the Husker rotation after earning All-America honors
last spring. The left-hander compiled an impressive 10-2 mark with a 2.78 ERA in
17 appearances. Watson ranked among the Big 12 leaders in ERA (third), wins
(fourth), opponent batting average (.236, fifth) and innings pitched (100.1) in
his first full season as a starter. He was also selected in the 17th round by
the Baltimore Orioles in the 2006 MLB Draft, but elected to return to Nebraska
for his junior season.
P Jason Meyer, Texas A&M
Meyer enters the season fifth on the Aggies' all-time appearances list (64),
10th in strikeouts (218), and ninth in innings pitched (260.2). He has 16 career
wins, three shy of making the Aggies' all-time top 15, and five career saves,
one shy of A&M's top 15. 2006 (JUNIOR): Earned the team's C.E.
"Pat" Olsen Most Outstanding Pitcher Award … spent the beginning of
the season coming out of the bullpen … the first 14 of his 23 appearances were
in relief and the last nine were starts … finished the year second on the team
with 77.2 innings pitched … limited opponents to a .230 batting average …
earned a save against Houston (3/21) … longest outing in relief was 3.1
innings against Missouri (3/17) … averaged 6.6 innings per start and eight of
his nine starts lasted at least six innings … threw a season-high nine innings
against Oklahoma (4/7), allowing just one run on one hit while striking out
three … struck out a season-high 10 against Baylor (4/21) in eight innings of
work … twice named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on April 11 and April 25 …
scored the winning run as a pinch runner against Northwestern State (2/11).
P Austin Woods, Texas
2006 honors: First-team Freshman All-American - Collegiate Baseball…Second-team
All-Big 12 2006 season…Led Texas and ranked fourth in the Big 12 in total
appearances (35) while also making one start on the year…Tied the UT freshman
record for appearances held by Huston Street (2002) to tie for seventh on the
school single-season list overall…Owned the third-best ERA among Texas hurlers
at 3.15 while tying for sixth in the league with a team-best seven saves, which
tied him for ninth on the school single-season saves chart… Amassed a 4-3
overall record to tie for fourth on the UT pitching staff in victories while
boasting 37 strikeouts over 45.2 innings of work…Limited opponents to a .241
batting average against, which was good for second on the club, while walking
only 19 over his 45.2 innings…Finished the conference season by tying for the
most appearances in league play (17) by any Big 12 hurler and tying for third in
saves (5)…Registered a 2-1 record to go along with a 3.98 ERA and 18
strikeouts over 20.1 innings of work during Big 12 competition…Appeared in
relief during four of Texas' five postseason games and combined on one shutout.
Second Team
C Jason Williams, Oklahoma
IF Aaron Reza, Oklahoma
IF Willie Rueda, Texas Tech
IF Brock Bond, Missouri
IF Andrew Brown, Nebraska
UTL Blake Stouffer, Texas A&M
OF John Allman, Kansas
OF Kyle Colligan, Texas A&M
OF Keanon Simon, Oklahoma State
P Johnny Dorn, Nebraska
P Chase Bayuk, Kansas State
P Adrian Alaniz, Texas
P Miles Morgan, Texas Tech
2007 All Big 12 Transfer Team
C Dan Quinn, Missouri
Transfer from the University Of Buffalo…Had a .305 batting average with nine
home runs and 37 RBI ... threw out 14 runners attempting to steal.
1B Thad Weber, Nebraska
MVP of the Jayhawk West Conference … first-team all-conference at both pitcher
and first baseman… hit .464 with six home runs and a team-high 61 RBIs… had
24 doubles, two triples and a slugging percentage of .741 with a .505 on-base
percentage.
2B Aljay Davis, Oklahoma
Played two years under Roger Ward at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at second
base and shortstop ... Preseason All-American last season ... Two-time First
Team All-Region player ... Hit .404 with 32 stolen bases in 2006 and .454 with
46 stolen bases in 2005.
3B Matt Mangini, Oklahoma State
Transfer from N.C. State… Started 60 games and hit .343 with seven homers and
a team-high 60 RBIs ... also had 16 doubles and four triples ... in the summer,
he won the Thurman Munson Award as the batting champion in the Cape Cod League
... hit .310 for the Hyannis Mets ... earned distinction as the fifth-best pro
prospect in the league by Baseball America.
SS Brandon Hicks, Texas A&M
Lettered two years for head coach Tom Arrington at San Jacinto Junior College in
the Houston area … known for his ability to make spectacular defensive plays
at the shortstop position … hit .321 with five home runs during his sophomore
season … led his team to the JUCO World Series where the Gators finished third
In 2006 … participated in the 2005 JUCO All-Star game.
INF Lee Fischer, Missouri
Hit .398 with nine home runs and 61 RBI in one year with South Suburban College
in South Holland, Ill. ... team advanced to Junior College World Series ... was
a first team All-American and Easton Defensive Player of the Year.
OF Mike Gosse, Oklahoma
Played two years at New Mexico Junior College under Ray Birmingham ... Hit .483
with 69 RBIs and was named a 2006 First Team All-American ... Hit .468 with 78
RBIs and helped lead team to junior college national championship in 2005.
OF Geoff Byrnes, Texas Tech
Played two seasons at Chabot College...named the All-Coast Conference Player of
the Year in 2006 and the NORCAL Player of the Year... received the Rawlings
"Big Stick" Ward in 2006...was a first-team All-Coast Conference and
NORCAL selection in 2005 as a first baseman...his last season at Chabot, he hit
17 home runs, scored 65 runs, tallied 72 RBI and total 15 stolen bases.
OF Pat McCrory, Texas
Earned first-team National Junior College Athletic Association and
all-conference honors as a freshman… Hit .492 with 52 runs, 92 hits, 19
doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 63 RBI … Earned Region XIV East
Conference Freshman of the Year accolades.
UTL Kirkland Rivers, Texas A&M
Hit .405 as a freshman and .400 as a sophomore at Texarkana JC … named the
conference's Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year … named to
the all-conference and all-region teams both years … helped the team win the
2005 conference championship and advance to the JUCO World Series in 2005 …
played summer ball for the Mineral Wells Steam in the Texas Collegiate League
… named to the 2006 TCL All-Star Team … Had five saves in six appearances
with a 1.00 ERA.
P David Newmann, Texas A&M
Lettered one year for head coach Tom Arrington at San Jacinto Junior College in
Houston … did not pitch in 2005 due to an injury … helped lead San Jacinto
to a runner-up finish in the JUCO World Series in 2004 … threw a one-hitter in
the opening game of the championship series … also earned three saves during
the series, earning all-tournament honors … drafted in the 24th round by the
Cleveland Indians in the 2006 MLB amateur draft despite not pitching last
season.
P Martin Beno, Oklahoma State
Was a first-team NJCAA Division II All-American at Mississippi Gulf Coast
Community College ... finished 11-3 with a 1.90 ERA and had 99 strikeouts in 94
innings ... drafted in the 19th round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles
Dodgers ... pitched for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod League during the
summer and was 2-0 with two saves and a 0.50 ERA in nine games.
P Justin Friend, Oklahoma State
Friend was 11-3 with two saves, 137 strikeouts and a 2.43 ERA in his two-year
career at Chabot College ... as a sophomore, he was an All- NORCAL selection
after winning 8-3 while compiling a 1.68 ERA and 92 strikeouts. Freshman stats:
57 IP, 3-0, 3.16 ERA, 50 SO
2007 All-Big 12 Freshman Team
C Aaron Baker, Oklahoma
Four-year letterwinner at Denton High School under Marty Green ... Career .420
hitter with 21 home runs and 120 RBIs ... Hit .470 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs as
a senior en route to earning first team all-state honors as a catcher ... Also
named district's offensive most valuable player as a senior (second consecutive
season) and was the team captain and MVP ... First team all-area catcher as a
junior.
IF Dustin Dickerson, Baylor
Drafted in the 15th round by the Washington Nationals…Hit .426 BA, 43 Hs, 37
RBIs, 5 HRs as a senior…Second Team Preseason All American by Baseball America…Hit
.398-7-52 with 11 doubles and 17 stolen bases as a junior.
IF Russell Moldenhauer, Texas
Drafted in the third round by the California Angels after an All-American career
at Boerne High… He hit .510-8-27 despite rarely being challenged at the plate
his senior season... Played catcher, shortstop and pitched in High School… As
a sophomore was the Player of the Year on the Texas Sports Writers Association
All-State Baseball Team for Class 4A (link)…He made the 2005 "Louisville
Slugger's" HS All-American Team as multiple position player
IF Brett Sowers, Nebraska
He was named the All-Colorado player of the year… Sowers hit .524 with 10 home
runs and a Cherry Creek record 46 RBI…Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the
47th round last summer… first-team All-Colorado honors at second base as a
junior, hitting .473 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs in just 93 at-bats…first-team
Centennial League pick and preseason All-American, he had 17 homers and 85 RBIs
during the summer.
IF Michael Demperio, Texas
All-American hitting .400 with 27 stolen bases and two home runs... Hit .432 and
earned area Silver Bat award as a sophomore... Ranked 43rd on the Perfect Game
USA list of top 100 prospects for the class of 2006... Earned Most Valuable
Player at 2006 All-American Baseball Game went 3-of-4 with one double, one
stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI in a 9-7 win for the East.
OF Devin Shepherd, Oklahoma
2006 Playstation All-American ... Hit .407 with seven home runs, 30 RBIs and 25
stolen bases last year en route to earning all-state honors as a senior ...
Career .485 batting average with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs ... 2005 AFLAC
All-American ... MVP of the 2005 AFLAC All-American game.
OF Aaron Senne, Missouri
Top ranked senior in Minnesota in 2006… He was drafted in the 13th round by
his hometown Minnesota Twins after hitting .552 with nine homeruns as a senior…He
was named all-state three times and had 28 career homeruns….rated #282 on
Baseball Americas 2006 Top 300 list.
UTL Aaron Miller, Baylor
Member of the Bears the #1 ranked recruiting class in the country… drafted in
the 11th round by the Colorado Rockies…led Channelview to the state tournament
while batting .581 with 14 home runs. He was 11-1 on the mound… two-time Team
MVP, District MVP and First Team All-District pitcher…named to the Puma
All-American Team and the Houston Chronicle All-Area Team.
P Kendall Volz, Baylor
Drafted in the 50th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks…Went 11-2, 1.52 ERA, 1
SV, 83 IP, 115 Ks, as a senior... Pitched in the THSBCA All-Star game…went
34-7, 1.67 ERA, 2 SV, 252 IP, 358 Ks, in his career…took the decision in
Smithson Valley's 5-2 loss to Rockwall in the state semis in 2005…went 14-3
with a 1.29 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 971/3 innings as a junior.
P Andrew Oliver, Oklahoma State
all-state performer at Vermilion High School in Ohio ... as a senior, he was 6-0
with an 0.40 ERA and racked up 108 strikeouts in 52.7 innings ... for his
career, he was 21-4 with three saves and an 0.96 ERA and had 354 strikeouts in
196 innings ... a 17th-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins ... also
considered North Carolina and LSU.