College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2012 College Baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be providing one player per day until we reach number 1.
We continue the countdown today at number 38 with Texas A&M junior outfielder Tyler Naquin. The Spring, Texas native attended Klein Collins High School where he was a three year letterwinner.
He was named a two-time all-state, three time all-district and three-time all-greater Houston selection. The Houston Chronicle tabbed him as the District MVP and tabbed the Klein Sun’s Player of the Year as a senior (2009). His senior season saw him hit .441 with 13 home runs leading the team to the regional semifinals. Naquin was selected in the 33rd round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft by the Baltimore Orioles but decided to go to Texas A&M.
As a freshman, he appeared in 58 games, making 47 starts (all in right field). He struggled at the plate though batting .244 on the year with 10 extra base hits (eight doubles and a pair of home runs) while driving in 19 runs. He spent the summer in the Northwoods League with the Mankato Moondogs playing in 20 games with a .185 batting average with three RBI.
Naquin had a breakout season as a sophomore leading the Aggies in hitting .381 with two homers and 44 RBI while stealing six bases in 68 games.
He spent the summer of 2011 with the USA Collegiate National team appearing in 12 games hitting .321 with two homers and ten RBI.
