Dec. 14, 2011

NCBWA Preseason All-America Team

WICHITA, Kan.-- Stanford third baseman Stephen Piscotty was named a first team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association on Wednesday after leading the Cardinal and the Cape Cod League in hitting this past year.

Piscotty's .364 average ranked second in the Pac-10. He also drove in 39 runs and scored 35 times as the team's starting third baseman. His 16 doubles ranked fifth in the conference. During the summer he hit a Cape Cod-best .349 during the regular season, while also getting two hits in the All Star Game. He also had a 1.69 ERA in five relief appearances.

Piscotty is one of six Stanford players ranked by Baseball America in its early “top college draft picks,” settling in at No. 14.  Projected Friday night starter, RHP Mark Appel is the publication's projected No. 1 pick, while infielder Kenny Diekroeger (No. 17) and returning weekend starter, LHP Brett Mooneyham (No. 31) are also in the top-40. Two-sport standout Tyler Gaffney (No. 54) and two-year starting center fielder Jake Stewart (No. 86) are also on the list.

Gaffney, a two-year starting outfielder and backup running back, is currently with the Fiesta Bowl-bound Cardinal. Despite not swinging a bat all fall in each of the last two seasons, he carries a .327 average into his junior year. He hit .371 over his final 43 games of 2011. On the grid iron this season his seven rushing touchdowns ranks second on the team.

Stanford, which reached the NCAA Super Regional at North Carolina last season, returns seven of its eight position players and a majority of its pitching staff excluding four drafted pitchers.

The junior-heaving Cardinal also feature Appel, who is coming off a 6-7 record and 3.02 ERA, Diekroeger who has a .324 career average in two years as a starting infielder and Stewart, who has a .249 career average over 91 starts in center. Mooneyham, who missed last year with a finger injury, is 9-10 with a 4.67 ERA in two seasons.

Freshman All-American Brian Ragira drove in a team-best 46 with a .329 average. Fellow sophomore Lonnie Kauppila had a .298 average with a .992 fielding percentage at second base.