CHARLESTON, S.C. – Redshirt-freshman Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) has been named to the 2011 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-America Third Team. The honor marks the fourth time Aldrich has landed All-American accolades this season. Aldrich also was named to the ABCA All-Atlantic Region First Team, while redshirt-junior Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) was named to the ABCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team.
Aldrich was named the 2011 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association and the league’s coaches, as well as being named to the All-SoCon First Team. The right-fielder led all Division I freshmen in home runs (22), RBIs (73), slugging percentage (.739) and total bases (164). He had 25 multi-hit games on the season and had a team-best 17-game hitting streak in February and March.
Aldrich has been previously honored with All-American selections by the NCBWA, Louisville Slugger and Baseball America. He was chosen the NCBWA National Freshman of the Year, as a Freshman All-American First Team selection and a Second Team All-American pick. Aldrich was named Collegiate Baseball’s National Freshman of the Year and was a semifinalist for the 2011 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, awarded to the nation’s top amateur baseball player. Aldrich has garnered Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American and First Team Freshman All-American honors, as well as All-America Third Team distinction from Baseball America.
Leeds completed the 2011 campaign with a .345 batting average, 18 doubles, 18 home runs and 80 RBIs, a mark that ranked 3rd in the country. The third-baseman was named to the All-SoCon First Team by the league’s coaches and the Southern Conference Sports Media Association and was recently named a the Capital One Academic All-America First Team as selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). He previously was honored as a NCBWA First Team All-American, a Louisville Slugger All-American Third Team selection and named to the Baseball America All-America Third Team.
