Baseball America recently announced their College All-America teams; which includes five former and one current Northwoods League player. Tony Sanchez (Boston College; Battle Creek ’07) and Derek McCallum (Minnesota; St. Cloud ’07-’08) were named to the first team while current Madison Mallard Troy Channing (St. Mary’s), Tyson Wheeler (Sacramento St.; St. Cloud ’07), and Wade Gaynor (Western Kentucky; La Crosse ’08) where named to the second team. 2008 Waterloo Buck shortstop Ryan Goins (Dallas Baptist) was a third team All-American.
Channing is currently hitting .267 with a .407 on base percentage for the South Division Co-leaders. Channing was one of just four freshman named to a BA All-America team after hitting .379 with 20 home runs for St. Mary’s.
McCallum and Wheeler were members of the 2007 NWL Champion St. Cloud River Bats. McCallum led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a regional appearance in his junior season by hitting .409 with 18 home runs. With the River Bats in 2008 McCallum finished third in the league with a .328 average. He recently signed with the Minnesota Twins after being selected in the 4th round of the 2009 draft. Wheeler, one of three 2009 NWL first round draft picks, hit .385 with 18 home runs in his junior season with Sacramento State. Wheeler filled the stat sheet for the River Bats in 2007 by batting .299 with 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 27 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 60 games.
Sanchez became the NWL’s highest draft pick going 4th overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates as a highly regarded defensive catcher who also hit .346 with 14 home runs to gain 1st team honors. Sanchez was a mid-season and post-season NWL All-Star in 2007 with the Battle Creek Bombers. Sanchez helped guide Boston College to their first regional in more than four decades.
2008 La Crosse Logger Wade Gaynor led his Western Kentucky team to a regional appearance and hit .371 with 25 home runs as the DH for the 2nd team.
Ryan Goins rounded out the All-American selections after hitting .371 with 22 home runs for Dallas Baptist. Goins hit .318 in 38 games for the 2008 Waterloo Bucks.
