Richie Shaffer hit 13 homers last season

Here is Baseball America’s release on its preseason All-American teams:

Top-ranked Florida leads all teams with seven players on Baseball America’s college preseason All-America teams, released today. Catcher Mike Zunino and two-way talent Brian Johnson represent the Gators on the first team, while outfielder Preston Tucker, two-way player Austin Maddox and righthander Hudson Randall make the second team, and shortstop Nolan Fontana and righty Karsten Whitson appear on the third team. Counting Johnson, Florida’s entire weekend rotation is composed of preseason All-Americans. No team in recent years has produced more than four preseason All-Americans. The only team in the last decade to get close to matching Florida was Stanford in 2002, with six preseason All-Americans.

Baseball America annually polls major league scouting directors to vote on the team and make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. In the past, the preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success. For example, nine of the 14 draft-eligible members of last year’s first team became first-round picks last June, and the other five were all selected inside the top four rounds. Each of the first seven players drafted out of four-year colleges last spring—and 12 of the first 13—appeared on one of BA’s three preseason All-America teams heading into the season.

There are six repeat members of BA’s preseason All-America teams. Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero and Stanford righthander Mark Appel each move up from the second team last year to the first team this year, while Johnson jumps from last year’s third team to this year’s first team. Two members of last year’s first team—catcher Peter O’Brien (who transferred from Bethune-Cookman to Miami) and Stanford shortstop Kenny Diekroeger—made this year’s team as members of the third and second teams, respectively. Tucker repeated as a second-teamer.

Marrero was the only unanimous first-team selection. Appel and Georgia Southern outfielder Victor Roache each appeared on the ballots of all 17 scouting directors who voted, but each received one second-team vote and 16 first-team votes. Zunino also appeared on every ballot but had two second-team votes.

Second-ranked Stanford, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 17 Arizona State each landed three players on the All-America teams, tied for second-most behind Florida. The Cardinal (Appel and third baseman Stephen Piscotty) and Georgia Southern (Roache and righthander Chris Beck) were the only teams other than Florida to produce multiple first-teamers.

The Southeastern Conference placed 12 players on the three All-America teams, most of any league. The Atlantic Coast and Pacific-12 conferences were next with seven selections apiece. As a testament to the strong talent in the mid-major conferences, 15 different leagues are represented on the three All-America teams. The others are the America East, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Big West, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Southern, Sun Belt, and West Coast conferences.

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Jay Mills

CSU head football coach Jay Mills has announced changes to his staff off assistants, including the resignation of defensive coordinator Thielen Smith and re-assignments for assistants Patrick Nix, Chuck Kelly and Gabe Giardina. Mills announced the moves on Monday.

Smith departs the CSU football program after four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers. He made an immediate impact, as the Bucs finished with the league’s second-best pass defense and scoring defense in 2008. They also boasted the third-best total defense in the Big South, allowing 345.7 yards per game. CSU also boasted the best pass defense efficiency in 2009 with a rating of 112.9, as well as the Big South’s top-ranked pass defense with 159.4 passing yards allowed per game. Under Smith’s tutelage defensive back Charles James developed into one of the league’s premier corners, garnering numerous national honors as well as All-Conference honors in 2010 and 2011. Linebackers Chris Patrick (2010), Andrew McKain (2009) and Chris Kuzdale (2009,2011), as well as defensive lineman Joel Walton (2009, 2010) earned Big South honors during Smith’s time at CSU.

The Buccaneers also announced some other moves among the coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix will retain his title and work primarily with the offensive line, while former offensive line coach Chuck Kelly will focus on the running backs. Running backs and special teams coach Gabe Giardina will continue to work with the CSU special teams and will also coach the wide receivers as well.

“After our annual review of the state of the program and our situation regarding player personnel, we decided to start working on our plans for the 2012 season immediately following the 2011 season,” says Mills. “We will continue to make decisions that will support our opportunities for success both on and off the field.”

“Additionally, we would like to thank Coach Smith for four years of great service and tireless commitment to both Charleston Southern University and the Buccaneer football program,” adds Mills. “The young men who benefitted from his tutelage will continue to grow as his influence will surely continue to guide them.”

Charleston Southern will conduct a nation-wide search for a defensive coordinator starting immediately.

Jay Mills

CSU head football coach Jay Mills has announced changes to his staff off assistants, including the resignation of defensive coordinator Thielen Smith and re-assignments for assistants Patrick Nix, Chuck Kelly and Gabe Giardina. Mills announced the moves on Monday.

Smith departs the CSU football program after four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers. He made an immediate impact, as the Bucs finished with the league’s second-best pass defense and scoring defense in 2008. They also boasted the third-best total defense in the Big South, allowing 345.7 yards per game. CSU also boasted the best pass defense efficiency in 2009 with a rating of 112.9, as well as the Big South’s top-ranked pass defense with 159.4 passing yards allowed per game. Under Smith’s tutelage defensive back Charles James developed into one of the league’s premier corners, garnering numerous national honors as well as All-Conference honors in 2010 and 2011. Linebackers Chris Patrick (2010), Andrew McKain (2009) and Chris Kuzdale (2009,2011), as well as defensive lineman Joel Walton (2009, 2010) earned Big South honors during Smith’s time at CSU.

The Buccaneers also announced some other moves among the coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix will retain his title and work primarily with the offensive line, while former offensive line coach Chuck Kelly will focus on the running backs. Running backs and special teams coach Gabe Giardina will continue to work with the CSU special teams and will also coach the wide receivers as well.

“After our annual review of the state of the program and our situation regarding player personnel, we decided to start working on our plans for the 2012 season immediately following the 2011 season,” says Mills. “We will continue to make decisions that will support our opportunities for success both on and off the field.”

“Additionally, we would like to thank Coach Smith for four years of great service and tireless commitment to both Charleston Southern University and the Buccaneer football program,” adds Mills. “The young men who benefitted from his tutelage will continue to grow as his influence will surely continue to guide them.”

Charleston Southern will conduct a nation-wide search for a defensive coordinator starting immediately.

A quintet of former Buccaneers will have their legacies cemented in history when they are inducted into Charleston Southern’s Hall of Fame this year. Josh Aydlette (track & field), Anthony Reed (track & field), D’Angelo Dereef (football), Collin Drafts (football) and Priscilla Lauoletolo Moleni (women’s volleyball) will comprise the class of 2011 and will be inducted on October 2, 2011.

A four-time Big South Conference indoor weight throw champion, Aydlette is the school record holder in both the weight throw and the indoor shot put. He posted the BSC’s best mark in the weight throw in 2000 and 2002. Aydlette, who competed for the Bucs from 1999-2002, is now the throws coach for his alma mater, guiding his athletes to five school records – many of which have been broken multiple times.

“I was very excited to hear that I was selected to be in the Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Aydlette. “It makes me feel good that all the hard work I put in as a Student Athlete at CSU didn’t go unnoticed. Great things are going on at CSU and I’m glad to be a part of them.”

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