Baseball: Four Bears Honored by Dallas Morning News
1/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 27, 2004
WACO, Texas - Michael Griffin, junior third baseman/outfielder on Baylor's 11th-ranked baseball team, was selected first-team preseason all-Big 12 Conference by the Dallas Morning News. Senior RHP Zane Carlson, junior catcher/DH Josh Ford and sophomore RHP Ryan LaMotta were second-team selections.
Griffin, a product of Cedar Hill High School in Dallas, hit .350 with 11 home runs and team-highs of 76 RBI, 26 doubles and eight triples in 2003. He also toted a .605 slugging percentage and collected 103 hits, second all-time at Baylor only to David Murphy's 121 hits from last season. Griffin already has been selected preseason All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (first team) and by Baseball America (third team).
Carlson, who enters the 2004 season as the active saves leader nationally, needs 16 saves to claim the all-time NCAA Division I career record. The Highland Park [Texas] High School product was 3-4 with a 2.61 ERA, 11 saves and 71 strikeouts in 58.2 innings of work in 2003. Carlson also was a preseason All-America selection by the NCBWA (third team).
Baytown-Lee [Texas] High School graduate Josh Ford established himself as one of the nation's top catchers last season, hitting .314 with 12 home runs, 63 RBI, 19 doubles, a .509 slugging percentage and 60 runs scored. He also gunned down 18 would-be base stealers with two pickoffs.
LaMotta, who prepped at Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, was 7-3 with a 3.48 ERA in mostly relief work last year. He tallied 62 strikeouts with three saves and held opposing batters to a .224 average.
Baylor's 2004 season begins Feb. 13-15 as the Bears host Loyola Marymount for a three-day, three-game series at Baylor Ballpark. Friday's game begins at 6 p.m., Saturday's at 3 p.m. and the Sunday finale at 1 p.m.
