Aggie players earn All-American honors
LAWTON, Okla. (June 2) – Cameron University baseball players Derrick Mihecoby and Greg Patton have been honored as All-American performers by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The duo become the third and fourth Aggie players, respectively, to earn All-American honors.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for both of these young men and a milestone for the Cameron baseball program," Aggie head coach Todd Holland said. "Having two of our players honored in this fashion is evidence that people are taking notice of Aggie baseball."
A senior from Elgin, Okla., Mihecoby was named to the NCBWA All-America third team. The 6-0 catcher enjoyed a breakout season with the Aggies, earning first team All-Lone Star Conference North Division honors after ranking among the conference leaders in several offensive statistical categories. Mihecoby finished the year with a .426 batting average while belting 13 home runs and 14 doubles. He recorded 56 runs batted in and stole a team-high 18 bases with 58 runs scored. Mihecoby also ranked second among all LSC players with a .787 slugging percentage.
Patton was named to the All-American honorable mention list. The junior outfielder from Scullin, Australia, was also a first team All-LSC North selection this season and finished among the Top 5 players in the conference in both batting average and slugging percentage. Patton led the Aggies with a .432 batting average this season and finished second on the team with 70 total hits, 10 home runs and 55 runs batted in. Defensively, Patton led all Cameron outfielders with a .974 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 46 games played.
Patton and Mihecoby become the first Aggie baseball players to receive national recognition since catcher Tyler Williams earned third team All-America honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association following the 1992 season. Third baseman Rod Cain is the only other Cameron player named to an All-American team, earning second team honors in 1989, when Cameron competed as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
"Derrick and Greg have been excellent team leaders for us," Holland said. "Both players lead by example. Derrick will certainly be missed next year, but we’re excited knowing we’ve got Greg coming back for another year."
Cameron finished the 2005 season as runner-up in the competitive LSC North Division. The Aggies posted their second consecutive winning season with an overall record of 29-21, marking the highest win total for the team since posting a 31-20 record en route to the 1992 Lone Star Conference championship. A total of eight members of the Cameron baseball team program have received postseason honors this season, including Holland, who was named the Co-Coach of the Year in the LSC’s North Division.
Complete NCBWA Division II All-America Team»
