Emeel Salem Named Third-Team All-American by NCBWA
6/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. -- University of Alabama senior center fielder Emeel Salem (Mountain Brook) has been named to the 2007 Pro-Line Athletic National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) All-American team, the organization announced Thursday at the College World Series.
"This is another well-deserved honor for a great baseball player and tremendous person," Alabama head baseball coach Jim Wells said. "Emeel had another great year and has really developed into a great baseball player."
A two-time All-American selection, Salem led the Crimson Tide with a .351 average (81-for-231) as a senior with seven home runs and 32 RBI in 57 games. He also led UA with 61 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, three triples and a .436 on-base percentage. In 30 SEC games, Salem batted led UA with .360 (45-fro-125) average with four home runs and 17 RBI. He also led the team with 32 runs scored and a .428 on-base percentage.
He was a .330 (222-for-787) career hitter in 227 games, with 10 home runs and 89 RBI. He is Alabama's all-time leader with 13 triples and 77 stolen bases. Salem also ranks in the Top 10 all-time in games played, runs scored, at-bats and hits.
Salem was a sixth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Devils Rays in last week's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He signed with the Devil Rays earlier this week and will begin his professional baseball career in the short-season New York-Penn League, where he will play of the Hudson Valley Renegades in Fishkill, N.Y. The New York-Penn League begins its 2007 season on Tuesday, June 19.
