Tulane's Hamilton Earns First Team All-America Honors
Jun 13, 2006 | Baseball
June 13, 2006
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane junior Mark Hamilton added another impressive honor to his list of 2006 accolades Tuesday when the Green Wave first baseman earned first team All-America recognition from Baseball America magazine.
Hamilton, the 2006 Conference USA Player of the Year, is the first Tulane player to pick up first team All-America honors from Baseball America since Michael Aubrey in 2003; Aubrey was a consensus All-American that season. Green Wave pitcher Brian Bogusevic was a first team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball Magazine a year ago, while Hamilton was recognized on that publication's third team All-America squad earlier this month.
"This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor for Mark," said Tulane Head Coach Rick Jones. " `Hammy' had a great year for us, and when he had a good day, we usually did well as a team. When you look at the complete player - hitting for average, hitting for power and fielding his position - he has the total package."
The Green Wave starter at first base in all 64 games in 2006, Hamilton led Tulane and Conference USA in home runs (20) and total bases (151) and also led all Wave players in RBI (69), slugging percentage (.643), runs scored (61) and on-base percentage (.461). He ranked third on the team in batting average (.336) and hits (79) and was second in walks (51). Hamilton put together a 14-game hitting streak from March 5-28 when he hit .390 (23-for-59) with four doubles, four homes and 21 RBI, and he was named C-USA Co-Hitter of the Week on May 1 after hitting .357 (5-for-14) with a 1.214 slugging percentage courtesy of four home runs.
The Bellaire, Texas product also led Tulane with 19 multiple-RBI games, including five four-RBI games. He tied for second on the team with 25 multiple-hit games, including a 4-for-4 showing against Oral Roberts (March 12). His offensive numbers were achieved despite the Green Wave's move to spacious Zephyr Field for the 2006 season after floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina damaged Tulane's on-campus facility.
Jones also lauded Hamilton's defensive abilities in the junior's first full season at first base.
"What may be lost in all of his offensive numbers is how solid a defensive first baseman Hammy made himself this season," Jones said. "That was through nothing but hard work, and [his play] was a big reason we ranked in the top five in the nation in fielding percentage this year."
Hamilton was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 76th overall selection in last week's Major League Baseball draft. A supplemental second-round pick, Hamilton's selection marked the fourth time in the last six years that Tulane has had at least one player picked in the first three rounds of the draft and the sixth consecutive season a Green Wave student-athlete was taken in the first five rounds.
A first team All-Conference USA player, Hamilton was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI team.
Tulane now has had at least one All-American in baseball in 11 consecutive seasons, and 18 total during Head Coach Rick Jones' tenure in New Orleans.
Hamilton was joined on Baseball America's first team unit by four other Conference USA players, including shortstop Brian Friday, starting pitcher Eddie Degerman and reliever Cole St. Clair of Rice, and University of Houston utility athlete Brad Lincoln.
To view the complete Baseball America All-America team, go to www.baseballamerica.com.
-- Roll Wave --
