June 2, 2005
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – For the fifth time in school history, the New Mexico baseball program has produced two All-Americans in the same season as sophomore Chris Carlson and freshman Jordan Pacheco were named Louisville Slugger All-Americans Thursday afternoon as selected by Collegiate Baseball. Carlson earned first-team accolades as a designated hitter, while Pacheco was chosen to the third team as a second baseman.
Carlson is the first Lobo to garner first-team honors since Travis Young in 1996. The Topeka, Kan., native, who played his first season for UNM in 2005 after transferring from Kansas State, also becomes just the third player in program history to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season (Travis Young, 1996; Dusty Young, 2003). He was named a second-team Academic All-American earlier this week for his 3.80 GPA in General Management.
On the field, Carlson stepped right into the heart of the Lobo order and made an immediate impact, establishing himself as one of the top sluggers in the nation. He led the Mountain West Conference in runs (66), slugging (.764) and walks (38), and was ranked in the top five in batting (.395), on-base percentage (.478), hits (87), doubles (24), homers (15) and total bases (168). Carlson, the Mountain West Player of the Week on March 14, was also named to the All-MWC and All-MWC Tournament teams this season.
|
With his third-team selection, Pacheco becomes the first freshman in UNM history to garner All-America honors. A product of Albuquerque’s La Cueva High School, the second baseman had an outstanding season in his first year as Lobo, ranking among the MWC leaders in batting (.408), homers (15), runs (65) and hits (95). Pacheco, an All-Mountain West selection, was one of 64 players nationally and one of only two freshmen named to the Dick Hower National Player of the Year watch list.
The Lobos also had two All-Americans in 1980 (Duffy Ryan, Keith Hagman), 1985 (Jim Fregosi, Dean Duane), 1993 (Luke Ogelsby, Mark Gulseth) and 2003 (Chris Alexander, Dusty Young). Carlson and Pacheco are the ninth and 10th All-Americans in UNM head coach Rich Alday’s tenure.
Complete Louisville Slugger All-America Team in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader