June 16, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. – Georgia Tech junior shortstop Derek Dietrich has been named to Baseball America’s 2010 All-America team, it was announced by the publication Wednesday. Dietrich, a third team selection, is one of six members from the Atlantic Coast Conference to earn the accolades.
Dietrich earns the honor after a career season in which he batted .350 with 17 home runs and 61 RBI. Along with his average and home runs, he set career highs in hits (84) and slugging percentage (.650). The Parma, Ohio native’s 17 home runs were apart of a school-record 122 hit by the Yellow Jackets during the 2010 season, as he belted 13 in conference play alone. He earned first team All-ACC honors in May.
He becomes just the third shortstop in Georgia Tech history to earn All-America honors. Nomar Garciaparra (1993 and 1994) and Tyler Green (2005) are the only other Yellow Jacket shortstops ever selected to the team.
Dietrich was recently selected in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First Year Player draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, and has elected to forgo his senior season by signing a professional contract. He ends his three year career on the Flats having started 182 consecutive games at shortstop, every single game since stepping on campus in 2008. The two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American ends his career with a .331 batting average. He scored 182 runs, hit 41 homers and produced 181 RBI.
He was named as a semifinalist for the Brooke’s Wallace Award (given to the nation’s best shortstop) just one week ago, and joins junior pitcher Deck McGuire and senior first baseman Tony Plagman to give the Jackets three All-Americans this season. McGuire and Plagman were named to the Louisville Slugger All-America third team earlier this month.
Seventeen conferences are represented on the three All-America teams, and 10 conferences landed multiple players on the teams, led by the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences with six apiece. The SEC also placed three players on the first team, more than any other league. The Pacific-10, Big East and Big 12 conferences each produced five players on the three teams.
Joining Dietrich on the squad from the ACC are Miami’s Yasmani Grandall, Clemson’s Kyle Parker, Virginia’s Danny Hultzen and Florida State’s Mike McGee and Tyler Holt.
