Notre Dame's Steve Sollmann Earns Consensus Freshman All-America Honors

June 18, 2001

Notre Dame second baseman Steve Sollmann (Cincinnati, Ohio) has earned a spot on all three major Freshman All-America teams, capping his impressive rookie season by becoming the fourth Irish player to earn consensus Freshman All-America distinction during the past five seasons.

Sollmann-who earlier was named a first team Freshman All-American by USA Today-was cited Monday by Baseball America as the 2nd-team second baseman on its Freshman All-America team. He also was one of two second basemen named to the Collegiate Baseball magazine Freshman All-America team (CB names one team, without distinction).

Sollmann turned in an impressive position switch from outfield (where he played as a prep) to the middle infield and completed his freshman season in the NCAA Tournament with a gutsy return from a broken hand suffered in the BIG EAST Tournament. He ranked third on the 2001 team with a .362 season batting average while starting 61 of 63 games at second base.

The former Cincinnati tri-state-area male athlete of the year ranked 4th among BIG EAST players in stolen bases (23-of-34), 5th in runs (52), 6th in hits (80), 7th in walks (30) and 9th in on-base percentage (.440). Four of the righthanded-hitter’s five home runs in 2001 were opposite-field shots.

The Notre Dame baseball program has produced consensus Freshman All-Americans in four of the past five seasons (USA Today introduced its first FAA team this season). Two former Irish players-infielder Brant Ust (’97) and righthander Aaron Heilman (’98)-were named Freshman All-Americans by Baseball America (both were 1st teamers) and Collegiate Baseball, as was rightfielder Brian Stavisky in 2000 (he was a 2nd-team pick by BA).

Sollmann is the 14th Irish player to earn Freshman All-America recognition (since 1990). In addition to Sollmann, Ust and Heilman, two other Irish players have earned first team Freshman All-America distinction (both from BA): righthander David Sinnes (1990) and second baseman Greg Layson (’91).

2001 Baseball America All-Freshman Team
First Team

Second Team

2001 Collegiate Baseball Magazine Freshman All-America Teams Pitchers
LHP Lane Mestepey, Louisiana St. – The Tigers’ ace of the pitching staff, Collegiate Baseball’s National Freshman Co-Player of The Year, had an 11-3 record with four complete games. He registered a 3.83 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 36 walks in 129 1/3 innings.

RHP Jack Collins, Stetson – Posted a 10-0 record, 3.80 ERA and fanned 36 batters with 19 walks.

LHP Sean Marshall, Virginia Commonwealth – Rookie of the Year in the Colonial Conference, Marshall ran up a 9-1 record, 1.89 ERA and 45 strikeouts with 25 walks.

RHP Bryan Gale, Michigan St. – Registered a 9-0 record with 2.97 ERA, 2 complete games and 51 strikeouts with 24 walks.

RHP Mike Collar, Maine – Rookie of the Year in the America East Conference, Collar posted an 8-0 record and 3.55 ERA with 45 strikeouts and only 13 walks.

Darric Merrell, Cal. St. Fullerton – Posted 6-2 record and 1.85 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 32 walks.

HP Kyle Bakker, Georgia Tech. – Bakker posted a 2.18 ERA with a 4-0 record and 46 strikeouts as he only walked 8.

LHP Chris Tracz, Marist – Posted 8-0 record with 2.14 ERA and registered 5 complete games with 62 strikeouts and only 9 walks.

LHP John Williams, Middle Tennessee St. – Had a 6-1 record and 4.26 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 32 walks.

LHP Josh Newman, Ohio St. – Registered a 7-2 record with a 3.51 ERA and 39 strikeouts with 20 walks.

LHP Justin Simmons, Texas – Posted a 7-3 record, 2.55 ERA and 4 complete games with 39 strikeouts and 18 walks.

Clark Girardeau, South Alabama – Had an 8-2 record, 3.61 ERA and 2 complete games. He also struck out 53 batters and walked 27.

LHP Paul Maholm, Missi-ssippi St. – Fanned 65 batters while walking only 24 with a 5-3 record and 4.72 ERA for the Bulldogs.

Andrew Paolillo, Fordham – Had a 6-3 record and 2.92 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 15 walks.

Justin Moore, Texas A&M – Fanned 43 batters with only 13 walks as he went 6-3 on the season with a 2.88 ERA.

Scott Baker, Oklahoma St. – Posted 6-2 record with 4.05 ERA. He struck out 40 batters and walked 20.

RHP Rene Recio, Oral Roberts – Registered a 6-1 record, 2.77 ERA and fanned 72 batters with 25 walks.

RHP Mateo Miramontes, Nevada – Fanned 67 batters while posting an 8-2 record and 4.50 ERA with 2 complete games.

Relief Pitchers
Chad Cordero, Cal. St. Fullerton – Posted 11 saves, 2-2 record and 1.76 ERA. On the season, he fanned 45 batters and walked only 9.

Joe Weaver, Oklahoma St. – A first team Big 12 selection as well as Big 12 Freshman Co-Pitcher of The Year, Weaver posted a 7-0 record, 1.59 ERA and struck out 26 batters while walking only 7.

Adam Yates, Mississippi – Registered a 7-1 record with 4 saves and 2.43 ERA as he fanned 55 batters with 34 walks.

Bob Zimmermann, S.W. Missouri St. – Had a 7-2 record, 5 saves and 2.02 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 13 walks.

George Huguet, Miami (Fla.) – Posted 12 saves in 38 appearances with 2.48 ERA. Justin Su’a, Brigham Young – A first team Mountain West Conference selection,

he appeared in 16 games with a 3-0 record, 2.43 ERA and 18 strikeouts with 4 walks.

Catchers
Mitch Maier, Toledo – A first team Mid-American Conference selection, Maier hit .424 with 3 HR, 8 2B and 34 RBI.

Jay Aulds, Louisiana-Monroe – Hit .422 this season with 6 doubles, 12 RBI and 4 stolen bases.

Javi Herrera, Tennessee – Solid defensive catcher who hit .288 with 5 HR, 11 2B, and 30 RBI for the Volunteers.

Tony Richie, Florida St. – Superb defensive catcher who hit .290 with 3 homers, 14 2B and 30 RBI for the Seminoles in his first season.

First Basemen
Jamie D’Antona, Wake Forest – A first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick, D’Antona was named Collegiate Baseball’s Freshman National Co-Player of The Year as he hit .364 with 17 homers and 14 doubles which included 77 RBI.

Bryan Zenchyk, Stetson – Freshman of The Year in the Trans America Conference, Zenchyk hit .404 with 14 doubles, 3 homers and 36 RBI in 171 at bats this season.

Logan Sorensen, Wichita St. – Sorensen hit .363 with 14 doubles, 5 homers and 30 RBI this season for the Shockers with 5 stolen bases.

Second Basemen
Steve Sollmann, Notre Dame – Rookie of The Year in the Big East Conference, Sollmann was a first team Big East selection as well as he hit .374 for the Fighting Irish.

Robert Deeb, Brown – A first team Ivy League selection, Deeb hit .404 with 9 doubles, 20 RBI and 15 stolen bases. His 63 hits were a freshman record.

Shortstops Omar Quintanilla, Texas – A first team selection and Freshman Player of The Year in the Big 12 Conference, Quintanilla hit .367 with 22 doubles, 2 homers and 37 RBI. He also swiped 8 bases.

Brian McKenna, Towson St. – Chosen as a second team America East selection, McKenna hit .300 with 11 doubles and 32 RBI.

Third Basemen
Brian Snyder, Stetson – Snyder, who made the All-Freshman team with the Trans America Conference, hit .350 with 5 HR, 15 2B and 45 RBI.

Mike Westfall, Utah – Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West Conference, Westfall hit .354 with 8 HR, 17 2B, and 45 RBI.

Myron Leslie, South Florida – A member of the All-Freshmen team in Conference USA, Leslie hit .370 with 13 2B, 3 HR and 31 RBI. He also swiped 15 of 16 bases.

Eric Wilson, St. Bona-venture – Hit .374 with 11 doubles, 2 homers and 18 RBI this season.

Adam Fox, Ohio – Fox hit .364 with 8 HR, 16 2B, 37 RBI and swiped 5 bases this season.

Outfielders
Carlos Quentin, Stanford – Named Freshman of The Year in the Pac-10 Conference and a first team Pac-10 pick, Quentin hit .352 with 11 homers and 45 RBI.

Rod Allen, Arizona St. – Hit .396 for the Sun Devils with 12 doubles, 4 HR, and 39 RBI. He also swiped 5 bases.

Sam Steidl, Minnesota – Hit .421 with 12 doubles, 26 RBI and stole 13 bases.

Chris Dickerson, Nevada – A first team Western Athletic Conference selection, Dickerson hit .320 with 11 homers, 11 2B and 42 RBI.

Rickie Weeks, Southern – Tied for the most triples in the nation with 12, Weeks also was a key RBI producer with 69.

Doug Deeds, Ohio St. – Hit .339 with 11 homers, 13 doubles and 42 RBI for the Buckeyes.

Brian Anderson, Arizona – Hit .362 with 7 doubles, 6 triples and 31 RBI. He also had 8 stolen bases as the starting centerfielder for the Wildcats.

Kendall Schlabach, Youngstown St. – A first team Mid-Continent pick, he hit .426 with 8 doubles, 20 RBI and swiped 16 bases.

Brent Johnson, Nevada – Led the team with 16 doubles, Johnson also hit .321 with 12 stolen bases and committed just three errors all season long.

Matt Murton, Georgia Tech. – Murton hit .377 with 7 homers, 12 2B and knocked in 35 runs. Bill Snyder, Ball St. – Hit .336 with 8 HR, 7 doubles and 29 RBI.

Javon Moran, Auburn – Swiped 22 bases for the Tigers as he hit .300 with 12 doubles and 33 RBI.

Multiple Position Athlete
Michael Aubrey, Tulane – Conference USA Freshman of The Year and a first team Conference USA selection, Aubrey hit .360 with 13 HR, 15 2B and 64 RBI. He posted a 2-0 record and 5.36 ERA as a pitcher.

Designated Hitter – Jeremy West, Arizona St. – Hit .316 with 6 HR, 8 2B, 33 RBI and swiped 2 bases.

USA TODAY BASEBALL WEEKLY FIRST TEAM FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS
1B – Jamie D’Antona, Wake Forest
2B – Steve Sollmann, Notre Dame
3B – Myron Leslie, South Florida
C – Javi Herrera, Tennessee
SS – Omar Quintanilla, Texas
OF – Rickie Weeks, Southern
OF – Sam Steidl, Minnesota
OF – Carlos Quentin, Stanford
P – Brad Sullivan, Houston
P – Lane Mestepey, LSU
P – Darric Merrell, Cal State Fullerton
Relief – Chad Cordero, Cal State Fullerton
Utility – Michael Aubrey, LHP/OF, Tulane