3 Gamecocks Preseason Baseball All-Americans

Columbia, S.C. (USC SID) -– South Carolina senior left-handed pitcher Michael Roth, junior right-handed pitcher Matt Price and junior first baseman Christian Walker all picked up 2012 Preseason All-America accolades as announced by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Wednesday afternoon. The NCBWA tabbed Price and Roth with first-team honors with Walker receiving second-team honors. South Carolina opens the 2012 season on Friday, Feb. 17 hosting a three-game series with VMI at Carolina Stadium. Roth, a consensus All-American and CollegeBaseballInsider.com‘s National Player of the Year in 2011, went 14-3 last year while posting a 1.06 ERA in 145.0 innings of work. In his first full year as a starting pitcher, Roth struck out 112 batters and walked 41 to help lead the Gamecocks to their second-consecutive NCAA Division I national championship. Roth also tallied a 1.17 ERA in Southeastern Conference play, the lowest of any starter in the league. His 14 wins tied for fifth most by a Gamecock in a single season. A first-team All-SEC selection, Roth was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team and was a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American as well. Price was also a consensus All-American in 2011 and a finalist for the 2011 NCBWA Stopper of the Year award. He earned first-team All-SEC honors and was on the College World Series All-Tournament Team. One of the nation‘s top closers in 2011, Price went 7-3 with a 1.83 ERA along with 20 saves in 59.0 innings pitched. A first-team All-SEC selection, opponents hit just .213 against him as he compiled 75 strikeouts. Price is looking to begin the 2012 season in the weekend rotation. Walker earned third-team All-America honors last year from Baseball America. He was the team‘s leading hitter in the 2011 season with a .358 average (97-for-271) along with 21 doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 62 RBI. A second-team All-SEC selection, Walker would go on to earn College World Series All-Tournament Team honors after playing the entire CWS Championship Series with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist.