Senior infielder Conner Brown (Richmond, Va./Godwin) and junior outfielder Chad Carroll (Oakton, Va./Oakton) were each selected to preseason All-America teams as two college baseball publications released their predictions less than two months before the start of the 2014 season.
Brown was named to Collegiate Baseball’s preseason Second Team while Carroll was a Third Team honoree from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Together they account for two of the four key bats returning in the heart of the lineup for the new season.
Carroll was First Team All-CAA in the Colonial Athletic Association, Second Team All-State according to the Virginia Sports Information Directors, Second Team All-Region and a semifinalist for the Gregg Olson Award as college baseball’s Breakout Player of the Year. After a .279 freshman season, Carroll hit .389 with 14 doubles, eight triples and three home runs. His eight triples ranked second in the nation and tied a JMU record. He scored 50 runs, drove in 55 and swiped 21 bases.
Brown was Third Team All-CAA and Second Team All-State. He was JMU’s home run leader with nine while also ranking third in the CAA with a .465 on-base percentage and seventh with a .592 slugging percentage. Brown hit .341 with 12 doubles and three triples while scoring 44 runs and accumulating 47 RBIs. He also drew 30 walks.
JMU has not had two players achieve season All-America honors in the same campaign since David Herbek and Jake Lowery each garnered First Team accolades after the 2011 season.
Madison begins the new season with a weekend series at East Carolina Feb. 14-16.
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Chris Graham
