Matthews Named Second Team All-America
6/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 8, 2001
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University baseball utility player Barry Matthews was named a second team All-America seletion by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Matthews recently finished his collegiate career and signed a professional contract with the Detroit Tigers. He becomes Gonzaga's first All-America selection since Darin Blood was an All-America selection in 1995 as he won Pacific-10 Conference North Player of the Year honors.
Matthews, a native of Northridge, CA, helped guide the Bulldogs to thier first-ever West Coast Conference Division title. He was the team's top hitter and pitcher on a squad that finished 28-27 and 17-13 in the Coast Division of the WCC. He finished the season with a team-high .353 average with 10 home runs and 31 RBI's. On the mound he was 9-2 with a 3.21 earned run average.
Seven players on the first-team will be finalists for the 2001 Dick Howser Trophy which represents College Baseball's Top Player. First team players this season include first base - Dan Johnson (Nebraska), second base - Chris O'Riordan (Stanford), third base - Jake Gautreau (Tulane), shortstop - Chris Burke (Tennessee), catcher - Kelly Shoppach (Baylor), utility - John Vanbeischoten (Kent State), outfielders Brian Baron (UCLA), John-Ford Griffin (Florida State), Cory Sullivan (Wake Forest), starting pitchers - Dewon Brazelton (Middle Tennessee State), Mark Prior (Southern California), Aaron Heilman (Notre Dame), relief pitchers Casey Shumaker (Jacksonville), Lee Gronkewicz (South Carolina).
Second team All-America players included first base Greg Dobbs (Oklahoma), second base Daniel Uggla (Memphis), third base Jeff Baker (Clemson), shortstop Javy Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.), catcher Casey Myers (Arizona State, utility Barry Matthews (Gonzaga), outfielders Frank Corr (Stetson), Billy McCarthy (Rutgers), Jason Knoedler (Miami, Ohio), starting pitchers Kenny Baugh (Rice), Nate Fernley (BYU), Kirk Saarloos (Cal State Fullerton), relief pitchers Dave Bush (Wake Forest), Andy Torres (Arizona State).
