Aaron Bates Named Preseason All-American

Wolfpack first baseman Aaron Bates has been named a preseason third-team All-American by <I>Collegiate Baseball</I> magazine.

12/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Dec. 27, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. - Coming off one of the best offensive seasons in school history, NC State first baseman Aaron Bates was named a third-team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Louisville Slugger on Tuesday.

Bates, a redshirt-junior who transfered to NC State from San Jose State a year ago, batted .425 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs for the Wolfpack in 2005. He batted an even .500 over the final 25 games of the season, a span that included three-game series vs. Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina, each a top 10 opponent at the time, plus three games in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and three more in the NCAA Lincoln Regional.

The Florida Marlins selected Bates in the eighth round of this past June's Major League Baseball Draft, but he opted to return to college for his junior season.