Blankenship Earns Preseason All-America Honors
November 07, 2001 | Baseball
Nov. 7, 2001
LUBBOCK, Texas - The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America honored Texas Tech senior third baseman with second team pre-season All-America honors today as the organization released its annual preseason selections.
Blankenship, a senior third baseman from Santa Rosa, Calif., was one of three Big 12 players named to the preseason All-America teams by the NCBWA. Matt Hopper, a junior utility player from Nebraska, joined Blankenship on the second team while right-handed Husker ace Shane Komine was the lone Big 12 player to be named to the first team.
Blankenship was a dominating factor for Texas Tech at third base last season hitting .353 (96 hits on 272 at-bats), 20 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs. He was equally impressive on the defensive end finishing the season with a .916 fielding percentage and 125 assists. He was named was named first-team All-Big 12 by the league coaches and also earned All-District VI after last year's stellar season in which the Red Raiders finished with a 43-20-1 overall record including a runner-up spot in the NCAA Fullerton Regional.