U-M's Putnam Named NCBWA Preseason All-America
12/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR , Mich. -- Junior RHP/DH Zach Putnam(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) of the University of Michigan baseball team was named to the annual Division I preseason All-America first team, as chosen by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America (NCBWA) Thursday (Dec. 13). As a sophomore in 2007, Putnam was 8-5 with a 3.87 earned run average as a starting pitcher, while hitting .330 with eight homers and 59 runs batted in. He was named to the 2008 preseason All-America squad at the utility position.
Putnam earned second team All-America honors at the utility position in 2007 from both Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). He was named winner of the 2007 Ray Fisher Award as Michigan's Most Valuable Player and the Geoff Zahn Award as Michigan's Most Valuable Pitcher with both awards voted on by his teammates.
In 2007, Putnam was the first baseball player ever to earn first team All-Big Ten Conference honors at two positions in the same year (starting pitcher and DH). He is the fourth Wolverine to earn preseason All-America honors in the past four seasons, joining outfielder Eric Rose (2004-07) , who was a preseason pick by the NCBWA a year ago, catcher Jeff Kunkel (2003-06), who was named to several teams prior to the 2006 season including the NCBWA team, and second baseman Chris Getz (2004-05), who was named to BaseballAmerica's preseason third team in 2005.
The Wolverines open the 2008 season in Florida with three games against Villanova on Feb. 22-24 in the New York Mets spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Michigan plays the Mets in an exhibition game on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Michigan opens the home schedule against Oakland University (March 19-20) and starts Big Ten action by hosting Iowa in a four-game series on March 28-30.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
