Rice Named First-Team Preseason All-American

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Junior catcher Matt Rice has been named a first-team Preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He is one of three Sun Belt Conference players to be recognized on one of the three NCBWA Preseason All-America teams.

Former Hilltopper Chad Cregar was named a second-team Postseason All-American by the NCBWA in 2008 and a first-team Preseason All-American in 2009.

As a sophomore in 2009, Rice hit .399 with 10 home runs and 72 RBI, and also had a 31-game hitting streak during the heart of the season. He played in 61 of WKU's 62 games and helped the Hilltoppers to a 42-20 overall record, a Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship and an appearance in the championship game of the Oxford Regional in the NCAA Tournament. It was WKU's second-straight trip to the postseason.

Rice was also named to the All-South Central Region team after the season. In addition, he was tabbed as a third-team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, as well as a first-team Academic All-District performer.

Joining Rice from the Sun Belt Conference as NCBWA Preseason All-Americans are Middle Tennessee's Bryce Brentz and Kenneth Roberts. Brentz was named to the first team as a utility player, and Roberts was voted to the third team as a starting pitcher.

The group of three NCBWA Preseason All-America teams includes 18 different Division I conferences and 39 different schools.

The complete NCBWA Preseason All-America First Team is listed below:

First Team:
C Matt Rice, WKU, Jr.
1B Preston Tucker, Florida, So.
2B Mike Sodders, New Mexico State, Sr.
3B Anthony Rendon, Rice, So.
SS Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton, Jr.
OF Devon Dageford, Louisiana Tech, Sr.
OF Jarrett Parker, Virginia, Jr.
OF Tyler Holt, Florida State, Jr.
DH Blake Dean, LSU, Sr.
UT Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee, Jr.
SP Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, Jr.
SP Sean Gilmartin, Florida State, So.
SP Anthony Ranaudo, LSU, Jr.
SP Taylor Jungmann, Texas, So.
SP Josh Spence, Arizona State, Sr.
SP Daniel Bibona, UC Irvine, Jr.
RP Matty Ott, LSU, So.
RP Eric Pettis, UC Irvine, Jr.
RP Addison Reed, San Diego State, So.

2010 Season and Single-Game Ticket Information: Season tickets for the upcoming 2010 WKU baseball season are now on sale, and season ticket renewals have begun. Single-game tickets for WKU's 30 home games in 2010 will go on sale on Monday, February 1. Fans can call the WKU ticket office at (270) 745-5222 or stop by the ticket office in E.A. Diddle Arena for more information and to purchase season and single-game tickets. The Hilltoppers open the 2010 season at home against Kent State on February 19.

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