June 2, 2006

TUCSON, Ariz. - Junior designated hitter Chris Carlson and left-handed junior Danny Ray Herrera were named to the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American baseball teams announced today by "Collegiate Baseball" newspaper. The 17-man first team, chosen by performances up to regional playoffs and picked by the staff of "Collegiate Baseball" newspaper.

Carlson, who garnered first team accolades for the second consecutive year, hit .366 (86-for-235) with 63 runs, 16 doubles, 21 home runs and a team-high 79 RBI. Last season Carlson was the first Lobo to garner first-team honors since Travis Young in 1996. The Topeka, Kan. native, the third player in program history to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season (Travis Young, 1996; Dusty Young, 2003), is the only Lobo recognized as both twice. Carlson was named a first-team Academic All-American earlier this week for his 3.69 GPA in General Management, after claiming second-team honors last season. He was also named Louisville Slugger Player of the Week and MWC Player of the Week on April 17 along with All-MWC first team and MWC all-tournament team honors.

Junior Danny Ray Herrera is the second Lobo pitcher ever to be honored as an All-American.

Herrera, the MWC Co-Pitcher of the Year, All-MWC first team and MWC all-tournament honoree and two-time MWC Pitcher of the Week (2/27, 3/13), went 10-0 with a 2.24 ERA in 17 starts. He threw three complete games, going 128.1 innings with just 29 walks and 104 strikeouts. Herrera is just the second Lobo pitcher to ever earn All-American honors with Dean Duane making the team in 1985. He is currently one of 10 finalists for the CSTV Player of the Year award.

This is the sixth time in school history the New Mexico baseball program has produced two All-Americans in the same season and the first time in back-to-back seasons. The Lobos also had two All-Americans in 1980 (Duffy Ryan, Keith Hagman), 1985 (Jim Fregosi, Dean Duane), 1993 (Luke Ogelsby, Mark Gulseth), 2003 (Chris Alexander, Dusty Young) and 2005 (Carlson and Jordan Pacheco). Carlson and Herrera are the 11th and 12th All-Americans in UNM head coach Rich Alday's tenure.