June 18, 2001
Notre Dame second baseman Steve Sollmann (Cincinnati, Ohio) has earned a spot
on all three major Freshman All-America teams, capping his impressive rookie
season by becoming the fourth Irish player to earn consensus Freshman
All-America distinction during the past five seasons.
Sollmann-who earlier was named a first team Freshman All-American by USA
Today-was cited Monday by Baseball America as the 2nd-team second baseman on
its Freshman All-America team. He also was one of two second basemen named to
the Collegiate Baseball magazine Freshman All-America team (CB names one team,
without distinction).
Sollmann turned in an impressive position switch from outfield (where he
played as a prep) to the middle infield and completed his freshman season in
the NCAA Tournament with a gutsy return from a broken hand suffered in the BIG
EAST Tournament. He ranked third on the 2001 team with a .362 season batting
average while starting 61 of 63 games at second base.
The former Cincinnati tri-state-area male athlete of the year ranked 4th among
BIG EAST players in stolen bases (23-of-34), 5th in runs (52), 6th in hits
(80), 7th in walks (30) and 9th in on-base percentage (.440). Four of the
righthanded-hitter's five home runs in 2001 were opposite-field shots.
The Notre Dame baseball program has produced consensus Freshman All-Americans
in four of the past five seasons (USA Today introduced its first FAA team this
season). Two former Irish players-infielder Brant Ust ('97) and righthander
Aaron Heilman ('98)-were named Freshman All-Americans by Baseball America
(both were 1st teamers) and Collegiate Baseball, as was rightfielder Brian
Stavisky in 2000 (he was a 2nd-team pick by BA).
Sollmann is the 14th Irish player to earn Freshman All-America recognition
(since 1990). In addition to Sollmann, Ust and Heilman, two other Irish
players have earned first team Freshman All-America distinction (both from
BA): righthander David Sinnes (1990) and second baseman Greg Layson ('91).
2001 Baseball America All-Freshman Team
First Team
| PLAYER, SCHOOL | AVG | HR | RBI | SB |
| C Mitch Maier, Toledo | .444 | 3 | 43 | 4 |
| 1B Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest | .364 | 17 | 77 | 1 |
| 2B Anthony Giarratano, Tulane | .352 | 3 | 47 | 11 |
| 3B Myron Leslie, South Florida | .366 | 3 | 40 | 17 |
| SS Omar Quintanilla, Texas | .367 | 2 | 37 | 8 |
| OF Austin Davis, Rice | .346 | 6 | 29 | 5 |
| OF Carlos Quentin, Stanford | .345 | 11 | 52 | 5 |
| OF Rickie Weeks, Southern | .422 | 14 | 70 | 28 |
| DH Rod Allen, Arizona State | .389 | 6 | 53 | 6 |
| UT Michael Aubrey, Tulane | .361 | 13 | 69 | 9 |
| PITCHER, SCHOOL | W | L | ERA | IP | SO | SP |
| Chad Cordero, Cal State Fullerton | 3 | 4 | 1.83 | 64 | 63 | (14 SV) |
| SP Clark Girardeau, South Alabama | 10 | 4 | 3.87 | 98 | 70 |
| SP Paul Maholm, Mississippi State | 8 | 4 | 4.06 | 95 | 87 |
| SP Darric Merrell, Cal State Fullerton | 8 | 4 | 2.95 | 113 | 76 |
| RP Lane Mestepey, Louisiana State | 11 | 3 | 3.75 | 139 | 79 |
| UT Michael Aubrey, Tulane | 3 | 1 | 5.15 | 72 | 46 |
Second Team
| PLAYER, SCHOOL | AVG | HR | RBI |
| C Javi Herrera, Tennessee | .296 | 7 | 45 |
| 1B Bryan Zenchyk, Stetson | .383 | 4 | 39 |
| 2B Steve Sollman, Notre Dame | .362 | 5 | 36 (23 SB) |
| 3B Brian Snyder, Stetson | .341 | 7 | 49 |
| SS Brandon Green, Wichita St. | .286 | 2 | 37 (10 SB) |
| OF Doug Deeds, Ohio State | .343 | 14 | 53 |
| OF Sam Fuld, Stanford | .357 | 0 | 37 (11 SB) |
| OF Sam Steidl, Minnesota | .401 | 0 | 32 |
| DH Matt Murton, Georgia Tech | .385 | 7 | 35 |
| UT Marc Kaiser, Arizona | .436 | 0 | 5 |
| PITCHER, SCHOOL | W | L | ERA |
| SP George Huguet, Miami | 1 | 0 | 2.03 (14 SV) |
| SP Sean Marshall, Va. Commonwealth | 9 | 4 | 3.34 |
| SP Brad Sullivan, Houston | 6 | 7 | 3.41 |
| SP Chris Tracz, Marist | 10 | 1 | 3.13 |
| RP Bob Zimmerman, SW Missouri State | 7 | 3 | 2.28 |
| UT Marc Kaiser, Arizona | 8 | 6 | 5.35 |
2001 Collegiate Baseball Magazine Freshman All-America Teams Pitchers
LHP Lane Mestepey, Louisiana St. - The Tigers' ace of the pitching staff,
Collegiate Baseball's National Freshman Co-Player of The Year, had an 11-3
record with four complete games. He registered a 3.83 ERA with 73 strikeouts
and 36 walks in 129 1/3 innings.
RHP Jack Collins, Stetson - Posted a 10-0 record, 3.80 ERA and fanned 36
batters with 19 walks.
LHP Sean Marshall, Virginia Commonwealth - Rookie of the Year in the Colonial
Conference, Marshall ran up a 9-1 record, 1.89 ERA and 45 strikeouts with 25
walks.
RHP Bryan Gale, Michigan St. - Registered a 9-0 record with 2.97 ERA, 2
complete games and 51 strikeouts with 24 walks.
RHP Mike Collar, Maine - Rookie of the Year in the America East Conference,
Collar posted an 8-0 record and 3.55 ERA with 45 strikeouts and only 13 walks.
Darric Merrell, Cal. St. Fullerton - Posted 6-2 record and 1.85 ERA with 63
strikeouts and 32 walks.
HP Kyle Bakker, Georgia Tech. - Bakker posted a 2.18 ERA with a 4-0 record and
46 strikeouts as he only walked 8.
LHP Chris Tracz, Marist - Posted 8-0 record with 2.14 ERA and registered 5
complete games with 62 strikeouts and only 9 walks.
LHP John Williams, Middle Tennessee St. - Had a 6-1 record and 4.26 ERA with
48 strikeouts and 32 walks.
LHP Josh Newman, Ohio St. - Registered a 7-2 record with a 3.51 ERA and 39
strikeouts with 20 walks.
LHP Justin Simmons, Texas - Posted a 7-3 record, 2.55 ERA and 4 complete games
with 39 strikeouts and 18 walks.
Clark Girardeau, South Alabama - Had an 8-2 record, 3.61 ERA and 2 complete
games. He also struck out 53 batters and walked 27.
LHP Paul Maholm, Missi-ssippi St. - Fanned 65 batters while walking only 24
with a 5-3 record and 4.72 ERA for the Bulldogs.
Andrew Paolillo, Fordham - Had a 6-3 record and 2.92 ERA with 31 strikeouts
and 15 walks.
Justin Moore, Texas A&M - Fanned 43 batters with only 13 walks as he went 6-3
on the season with a 2.88 ERA.
Scott Baker, Oklahoma St. - Posted 6-2 record with 4.05 ERA. He struck out 40
batters and walked 20.
RHP Rene Recio, Oral Roberts - Registered a 6-1 record, 2.77 ERA and fanned 72
batters with 25 walks.
RHP Mateo Miramontes, Nevada - Fanned 67 batters while posting an 8-2 record
and 4.50 ERA with 2 complete games.
Relief Pitchers
Chad Cordero, Cal. St. Fullerton - Posted 11 saves, 2-2 record and 1.76 ERA.
On the season, he fanned 45 batters and walked only 9.
Joe Weaver, Oklahoma St. - A first team Big 12 selection as well as Big 12
Freshman Co-Pitcher of The Year, Weaver posted a 7-0 record, 1.59 ERA and
struck out 26 batters while walking only 7.
Adam Yates, Mississippi - Registered a 7-1 record with 4 saves and 2.43 ERA as
he fanned 55 batters with 34 walks.
Bob Zimmermann, S.W. Missouri St. - Had a 7-2 record, 5 saves and 2.02 ERA
with 49 strikeouts and 13 walks.
George Huguet, Miami (Fla.) - Posted 12 saves in 38 appearances with 2.48 ERA.
Justin Su'a, Brigham Young - A first team Mountain West Conference selection,
he appeared in 16 games with a 3-0 record, 2.43 ERA and 18 strikeouts with 4
walks.
Catchers
Mitch Maier, Toledo - A first team Mid-American Conference selection, Maier
hit .424 with 3 HR, 8 2B and 34 RBI.
Jay Aulds, Louisiana-Monroe - Hit .422 this season with 6 doubles, 12 RBI and
4 stolen bases.
Javi Herrera, Tennessee - Solid defensive catcher who hit .288 with 5 HR, 11
2B, and 30 RBI for the Volunteers.
Tony Richie, Florida St. - Superb defensive catcher who hit .290 with 3
homers, 14 2B and 30 RBI for the Seminoles in his first season.
First Basemen
Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest - A first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick,
D'Antona was named Collegiate Baseball's Freshman National Co-Player of The
Year as he hit .364 with 17 homers and 14 doubles which included 77 RBI.
Bryan Zenchyk, Stetson - Freshman of The Year in the Trans America Conference,
Zenchyk hit .404 with 14 doubles, 3 homers and 36 RBI in 171 at bats this
season.
Logan Sorensen, Wichita St. - Sorensen hit .363 with 14 doubles, 5 homers and
30 RBI this season for the Shockers with 5 stolen bases.
Second Basemen
Steve Sollmann, Notre Dame - Rookie of The Year in the Big East Conference,
Sollmann was a first team Big East selection as well as he hit .374 for the
Fighting Irish.
Robert Deeb, Brown - A first team Ivy League selection, Deeb hit .404 with 9
doubles, 20 RBI and 15 stolen bases. His 63 hits were a freshman record.
Shortstops
Omar Quintanilla, Texas - A first team selection and Freshman Player of The
Year in the Big 12 Conference, Quintanilla hit .367 with 22 doubles, 2 homers
and 37 RBI. He also swiped 8 bases.
Brian McKenna, Towson St. - Chosen as a second team America East selection,
McKenna hit .300 with 11 doubles and 32 RBI.
Third Basemen
Brian Snyder, Stetson - Snyder, who made the All-Freshman team with the Trans
America Conference, hit .350 with 5 HR, 15 2B and 45 RBI.
Mike Westfall, Utah - Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West Conference,
Westfall hit .354 with 8 HR, 17 2B, and 45 RBI.
Myron Leslie, South Florida - A member of the All-Freshmen team in Conference
USA, Leslie hit .370 with 13 2B, 3 HR and 31 RBI. He also swiped 15 of 16
bases.
Eric Wilson, St. Bona-venture - Hit .374 with 11 doubles, 2 homers and 18 RBI
this season.
Adam Fox, Ohio - Fox hit .364 with 8 HR, 16 2B, 37 RBI and swiped 5 bases this
season.
Outfielders
Carlos Quentin, Stanford - Named Freshman of The Year in the Pac-10 Conference
and a first team Pac-10 pick, Quentin hit .352 with 11 homers and 45 RBI.
Rod Allen, Arizona St. - Hit .396 for the Sun Devils with 12 doubles, 4 HR,
and 39 RBI. He also swiped 5 bases.
Sam Steidl, Minnesota - Hit .421 with 12 doubles, 26 RBI and stole 13 bases.
Chris Dickerson, Nevada - A first team Western Athletic Conference selection,
Dickerson hit .320 with 11 homers, 11 2B and 42 RBI.
Rickie Weeks, Southern - Tied for the most triples in the nation with 12,
Weeks also was a key RBI producer with 69.
Doug Deeds, Ohio St. - Hit .339 with 11 homers, 13 doubles and 42 RBI for the
Buckeyes.
Brian Anderson, Arizona - Hit .362 with 7 doubles, 6 triples and 31 RBI. He
also had 8 stolen bases as the starting centerfielder for the Wildcats.
Kendall Schlabach, Youngstown St. - A first team Mid-Continent pick, he hit
.426 with 8 doubles, 20 RBI and swiped 16 bases.
Brent Johnson, Nevada - Led the team with 16 doubles, Johnson also hit .321
with 12 stolen bases and committed just three errors all season long.
Matt Murton, Georgia Tech. - Murton hit .377 with 7 homers, 12 2B and knocked
in 35 runs. Bill Snyder, Ball St. - Hit .336 with 8 HR, 7 doubles and 29 RBI.
Javon Moran, Auburn - Swiped 22 bases for the Tigers as he hit .300 with 12
doubles and 33 RBI.
Multiple Position Athlete
Michael Aubrey, Tulane - Conference USA Freshman of The Year and a first team
Conference USA selection, Aubrey hit .360 with 13 HR, 15 2B and 64 RBI. He
posted a 2-0 record and 5.36 ERA as a pitcher.
Designated Hitter - Jeremy West, Arizona St. - Hit .316 with 6 HR, 8 2B, 33
RBI and swiped 2 bases.
USA TODAY BASEBALL WEEKLY FIRST TEAM FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS
1B - Jamie D'Antona, Wake Forest
2B - Steve Sollmann, Notre Dame
3B - Myron Leslie, South Florida
C - Javi Herrera, Tennessee
SS - Omar Quintanilla, Texas
OF - Rickie Weeks, Southern
OF - Sam Steidl, Minnesota
OF - Carlos Quentin, Stanford
P - Brad Sullivan, Houston
P - Lane Mestepey, LSU
P - Darric Merrell, Cal State Fullerton
Relief - Chad Cordero, Cal State Fullerton
Utility - Michael Aubrey, LHP/OF, Tulane
