2003 Dick Howser Trophy finalist Rickie Weeks of Southern heads an all-star cast of .400-plus hitters, standout pitchers, and CWS participants on the NCBWA postseason All-America grouping.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference's Player of the Year in both 2002 and '03 capped his junior season with a .479 batting average to lead the nation for the second year in succession, hitting 16 homers and driving in 64 runs – good for 11th place nationally with 1.29 RBI per game. In his final two seasons as SU, the second-overall MLB draft selection (Milwaukee Brewers) smashed 36 home runs and drove in 160 runs (including 96 in 2002) during a 107-game span.
Weeks is not alone in his stunning stats, though, as first team All-America pitcher Jeff Niemann of Rice leads the nation with a 16-0 record and fellow NCAA World Series participant David Marchbanks of South Carolina was 15-2 overall prior to his Omaha trek. Long Beach State's Jered Weaver, brother of New York Yankees' hurler Jeff Weaver, also notched a 14-4 record with a school-season-record 144 strikeouts.
Relief aces on the first team include Virginia Tech's Matt Daulton, who did not surrender an earned run in his first 30-plus innings and ended with a 0.76 ERA, and Auburn standout Steve Register (16 saves).
Most of the nation's top power hitters received recognition in the first unit persons of 1B Billy Becher of New Mexico State with a Division I-best 32 home runs, Southern Miss outfielder Clint King with a school record-tying 23 round-trippers, and the Big 12 Conference's RBI leader in World Series bound OF Dustin Majewski of Texas (82). 3B Jamie D'Antona of Wake Forest added 21 home runs while first team OF Michael Brown of William and Mary and Alabama's DH-Utility Ath1ete Beau Hearod chipped in 20 round-trippers each.
Shortstop Dustin Pedroia of Arizona State led the Sun Devils to a final 54-14 mark and the title in the Pacific-10 Conference as well as a berth in the 2003 NCAA Super Regionals against Cal State Fullerton. Baylor OF David Murphy batted .413 to pace the Big 12 in hitting while smashing a league-record 121 hits for the Bears' Super Regional runners-up. Stanford's catcher Ryan Garko was equally impressive with 18 home runs and 88 RBI to top the Pacific-10 Conference and to pace coach Mark Marquess' Cardinal back to an almost annual trek to Omaha.
Freshmen sensations such as Miami (Fla.) World Series SS Ryan Braun (17 homers, 74 RBI) and Ole Miss' Stephen Head (.337 average, 4-1 pitching record with 13 saves) promise even more college baseball excitement for future years and 2004 first team All-America potential.
On the 60-man contingent, which includes both starting pitchers and relief men, there are 11 different conferences represented and players from 57 different Division I schools and the top independent in baseball – Miami (Fla.). In all, there are 12 standouts from the eight 2003 NCAA World Series teams on one of the three dream teams.
In 2003 the NCBWA again joins forces with the Greater St. Petersburg (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce to select the national collegiate player of the year in presentation of the Dick Howser Trophy – emblematic of the collegian with standout athletics' ability as well as off-field character and service for Division I diamondman of the year. The 2003 announcement and award ceremony is set for 9:30 a.m. (CDT) at the Omaha (Neb.) Courtyard by Marriott, second floor meeting area, on Friday, June 13.
| First Team |
1B Billy Becher, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Second Team |
1B Michael Aubrey, Jr., Tulane |
| Third Team |
1B Jeff Larish, Soph., Arizona State |