Baylor baseball junior reliever Troy Montemayor was named a third-team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association 2017 Preseason All-American, the organization announced Tuesday.
Montemayor, who was also chosen as a second-team Collegiate Baseball 2017 Preseason All-American on Dec. 19, gives Baylor its first player with two such honors in the same season since Michael Griffin (NCBWA first team, Baseball America third team) in 2004. Montemayor is one of 23 on the third team list, one of seven on the three-team, 65-man list representing the Big 12 and one of 13 relief pitchers on the 65-man list.
Montemayor is coming off a sophomore season that earned him first-team 2016 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Midwest All-Region and first-team All-Big 12 selections, while also being one of 43 semifinalists for the 2016 Gregg Olson Award (breakout player of the year).
Excelling in his first season as closer, the San Antonio native led the Big 12 and ranked tied for seventh in the country with 14 saves in 2016. Montemayor converted his first eight career save attempts and 14 of 15. In 24 appearances, he posted a 1-1 record and 0.78 ERA, giving up just four runs on 15 hits and nine walks with 22 strikeouts over 23 innings while holding hitters to a .188 batting average.
Montemayor is the ninth player in BU history to record 10 or more saves in a season (first since Josh Michalec set the single-season Baylor and Big 12 records with 21 saves in 2014) and his 2016 season ranks tied for third on BU's single-season saves list and he is already eighth on BU's career list.
Baylor Preseason All-Americans Since 1998
Troy Montemayor (2017, second team, Collegiate Baseball)
Troy Montemayor (2017, third team, NCBWA)
Aaron Miller (2009, third team, Baseball America)
Kendal Volz (2009, first team, Baseball America)
Nick Cassavechia (2007, third team, NCBWA)
Mark McCormick (2005, first team, Baseball America)
Zane Carlson (2004, third team, NCBWA)
Michael Griffin (2004, first team, NCBWA)
Michael Griffin (2004, third team, Baseball America)
Mark McCormick (2004, second team, Baseball America)
Steven White (2002, third team, Baseball America)
Zane Carlson (2001, first team, Collegiate Baseball)
Jeremy Dodson (1998, third team, Baseball America)
Kip Wells (1998, second team, Baseball America)
