Two Tiders Earn All-America Notice

Most of the attention these days insofar as All-America recognition is on football. Both college and high school All-America teams are being announced and Crimson Tide players and Alabama players-to-be will be included. But that's not the only place where Alabama is making a national splash.

Alabama junior second baseman Ross Wilson and senior third baseman Jake Smith were named to the 2010 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-America Team Wednesday. Wilson was named a second team preseason All-America, while Smith was a third-team selection.

“Ross and Jake are certainly deserving of this honor,” Alabama Coach Mitch Gaspard said. “They are veteran players and leaders on this team. They have started each of the last two seasons and are All-SEC type players. I’ve said all along we have one of the best infields in the country and Ross and Jake are a big part of that.”

An outstanding athlete, with speed and power, Wilson has compiled a .321 (152-for-473) career batting average with 24 home runs and 94 RBI in his 117-game career at Alabama. He is a two-time All-SEC performer after hitting .305 (71-for-215) with 12 home runs and 47 RBI in his 47-game SEC career.

Wilson returns for his third season as the Crimson Tide’s starting second baseman, where he teams with junior shortstop Josh Rutledge to form one of the best middle infields in college baseball. As a sophomore, he hit .353 (76-for-215) with nine home runs and 47 RBI in 55 games. He was third on the team with 12 multi-RBI games and fourth with 22 multi-hit games. In SEC play, he batted .343 (370-for-108) with five home runs and 27 RBI en route to being named first-team All-SEC.

A two-way threat, Smith had a solid junior season at the plate and on the mound for the Crimson Tide. He hit a team-best .359 (70-for-195) with 18 home runs and 54 RBI in 49 games as a junior. In SEC play, he hit .333 (38-for-114) with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 29 SEC games en route to first-team All-SEC honors. He was twice named to the SEC All-Defensive Team for his play at third base. He made only five errors in 116 chances at third base last year and committed 10 errors in 181 chances in 2008.

Overall, he has played 151 career games and made 148 starts during his three-year career and compiled a .284 (155-for-546) batting average with 32 home runs and 117 RBI. He has also posted a .279 (78-for-280) batting average with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 80 career SEC games.