Michael Aubrey Named USA Baseball Athlete Of The Year
Oct 16, 2002 | Baseball
Oct. 16, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - After leading the U.S. National Team in the triple-crown categories and helping lead Team USA to a silver medal at the inaugural FISU World University Baseball Championships, Tulane standout Michael Aubrey was named Team USA Athlete of the Year, the organization announced Tuesday morning.
Aubrey, who became the first player in Team USA history to hit over .400 with wooden bats, led the team in five offensive categories. In addition to pacing the squad with a .405 batting average, Aubrey also led the National Team in hits (45), home runs (6), RBI (26) and runs scored (25).
"This is a tremendous honor for Michael, and I'm proud of him not only for his accomplishments on the field but also for the person he is," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "He's the consummate student-athlete, and this is another well-deserved accolade."
The honor is the second for Aubrey branching from his stellar summer as the native of Shreveport, La., was named to the Summer League All-American by Baseball America.
A second-year member of the National Team after spending the summer of 2000 with the Junior National Team, Aubrey paced the team in slugging percentage with a .667 mark on the strength of seven doubles, two triples and six homers, and led the squad with a .469 on-base percentage. He also tied a Team USA record with two home runs in one game on July 9 against the Keen Swamp Bats and his overall batting average ranks eighth in Team USA history.
"It's a nice honor, but it's not something you think about when you're playing," Aubrey said. "This summer, I just went out there, played hard, and had fun. I just got comfortable, and as I got into my comfort zone, my confidence level rose. I was able to carry it over day-to-day, and that made it easier going from town to town every day and facing new pitchers who each had a different style."
Aubrey, the first amateur athlete to win the award since Miami's Pat Burrell earn the honor in 1998, also was honored as a member of the 2002 USA Baseball Team of the Year, as the National Team earned the distinction with a 23-7 record and a runner-up finish in the world championships. Along the way, the Red, White and Blue won their five-game series against Japan 3-2 and claimed its second consecutive gold medal at the Harlaam Baseball Week with a 5-4 win over the Netherlands.
Aubrey joined Team USA after a solid sophomore season with the Green Wave where he hit .316 with seven home runs and 52 RBI despite battling a nagging back injury throughout most of the year. From the mound, Aubrey went 8-1 with a 4.45 ERA while striking out 36 in 60.2 innings of work.
