Baker on Preseason Watch List

Dec. 11, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. -- Sophomore first baseman Aaron Baker was named to the 2008 Brooks Wallace Preseason Watch list as announced by the College Baseball Foundation. The award is given annually to the best player in Division I collegiate baseball.

In 2007, Baker was selected to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team by Collegiate Baseball. He became the sixth Sooner in program history to collect the accolade and the first since 2005.

After coming off the bench on opening day, Baker started every game after for the Sooners at first base (except one start at catcher). He was the only Sooner to play in every game in 2007 and he collected at least one hit in all but 10 games. Baker finished the year with a .323 batting average and an OU freshman record 50 RBIs (second most on the team). Baker led Oklahoma with 16 doubles and 14 multiple-RBI games and ranked third with 20 multi-hit contests.

In addition, the Denton, Texas, native began the 2007 season by hitting in 22 consecutive games, an OU freshman record and the second longest streak in the Big 12 this season. That mark also ranks third all-time at OU behind Derek Wathan's 25-game mark (1997-1998) and Marty Neff's 27-game streak (1991).

Baker was also honored by the Big 12 following the regular season as an Honorable Mention. In addition, two newspapers from around the Big 12 Conference selected Baker as the top freshman in 2007. The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) and Fort Worth Star Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) both tabbed Baker as the league's top freshman in 2007.

The Sooners will resume practice with individual workouts on the first day of spring classes. Team practice will resume on Feb. 1 with the Sooners set to open the 2008 season at UCLA on Feb. 22 for a three-game set.

OU's home opener is slated for Feb. 26, when it opens a two-game set with Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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