June 25, 2010

2010 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-America Teams

ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington center fielder Michael Choice (Arlington, Texas) has been named a 2010 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Division I third team All-America selection, the organization announced Thursday.

Choice picked up his fifth All-America award following his junior season and his 10th overall All-America selection this year. The UT Arlington all-time career home run leader, Choice led the Southland Conference batting .383 with 16 home runs and 59 RBI on his way to being named the Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year.

Choice has also been named All-America by Baseball America (1st Team), Yahoo! Sports (1st Team), PING! (2nd Team) and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (3rd Team). He was also named a first team mid-season All-American by Baseball America and picked up four preseason All-America recognitions.

Choice was named a first team ABCA South Central All-Region pick. He was the only Southland Conference player to receive ABCA All-America honors.

Choice was selected 10th overall in the first round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics be become the highest drafted UTA player. He is the highest drafted player in Southland Conference history (Ben Sheets, ULM, 10th overall in 1999).

In fact, Choice is the highest drafted collegiate outfielder since 2006 (Drew Stubbs, Texas - 8th overall - Cincinnati Reds).

He led the nation and broke a school and conference record with 76 walks while his .568 on-base percentage also broke a school record, led the Southland and ranked second in the nation. Choice collected 75 base hits, 11 doubles, 138 total bases and led the Mavericks with 12 stolen bases.

Over the course of his 166-game career at UTA, Choice batted .392 (242-for-618) with 170 runs, 33 doubles, eight triples, 34 home runs, 162 RBI, a .636 slugging percentage and a .505 on-base percentage.

Choice became the first player in UTA history to lead the team in home runs in three consecutive seasons, collected three straight seasons with at least 50 RBI and to lead the team in home runs and walks in back-to-back campaigns.

CHOICE CAREER HONORS/AWARDS

2010
Major League Baseball 1st-Round (10th Overall) Draft Pick by Oakland Athletics
3rd Team ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-America
3rd Team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America
1st Team Baseball America All-America
1st Team Yahoo! Sports All-America
1st Team ABCA South Central All-Region
2nd Team PING! All-America
Southland Conference Player of the Year
Southland Conference Hitter of the Year
Southland Conference All-Tournament Team (OF)
1st Team All-Southland Conference
USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Watch List
USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist (Top 30)
UT Arlington Baseball 2000's All-Decade Team (OF)
Southland Conference Hitter of the Week (5/10)
1st Team Baseball America Midseason All-America
2nd Team Baseball America Preseason All-America
Baseball America No. 2 "2010 MLB Draft - State of Texas Prospect"
Baseball America No. 11 "2010 MLB Draft Top 50 List" (5/13/10)
Baseball America No. 15 "2010 MLB Draft Top 50 List" (4/22/10)
Baseball America No. 5 "2010 MLB Draft Top Outfielders"
Baseball America Projected First-Round MLB Draft Pick
Baseball America No. 20 "Top 100 College MLB Draft Prospect"
Baseball America No. 17 "Top 50 College Juniors"
Baseball America Preseason All-Conference
Baseball America Preseason Conference Player of the Year
1st Team Yahoo! Sports Preseason All-Conference
Yahoo! Sports: SLC Best Hitter (Preseason)
CollegeBaseballToday: All-Conference Candidate
CollegeBaseballToday: SLC The "You Gotta See" Player"
CollegeBaseballInsider.com: "Top 3 Power Threats in SLC"
CollegeBaseballInsider.com: "Top 3 Pure Hitters in SLC"
CollegeBaseballInsider.com: "The Hitter You Least Want to Face in the SLC"
1st Team Preseason All-Southland Conference
2nd Team PING! Preseason All-America
College Baseball Blog Projected No. 13 Player in the Country
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper 2nd Team Preseason All-America
3rd Team NCBWA Preseason All-America

2009
Baseball America No. 8 USA Baseball Team Prospect
World Baseball Challenge All-Tournament Team (Team USA)
World Baseball Challenge Home Run Hitting Award (Team USA)
USA Baseball National Team Member
2nd Team ABCA South Central All-Region
1st Team All-Southland Conference
Southland Conference Hitter of the Week (Apr. 13)
Southland Conference Hitter of the Week (Feb. 24)
Brooks Wallace Preseason Player of the Year Watch List
1st Team Preseason All-Southland Conference
Baseball America Preseason All-Conference
Rivals.com Preseason All-Conference

2008
Rivals.com Freshman All-America
1st Team NCBWA Freshman All-America
2nd Team Baseball America Freshman All-America
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-America
2nd Team PING! Freshman All-America
Southland Conference Freshman of the Year
2nd Team All-Southland Conference