Arizona baseball: Bobby Dalbec named 2nd team preseason All-American by Perfect Game

More preseason honors for the Arizona third baseman

As we get closer to the start of college baseball season, Arizona Wildcats third baseman Bobby Dalbec continues to add to his preseason honors.

On Monday, Perfect Game announced their preseason All-American teams, and Dalbec finds himself on the 2nd-team as the third baseman.

He is one of only five Pac-12 players spread out among the three tiers of All-Americans by Perfect Game. ASU shortstop Colby Woodmansee and Oregon State first baseman K.J. Harrison find themselves on the first team. Cal starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies and Oregon relief pitcher Stephen Nogosek are on the third team.

Dalbec was recently named the 18th-best college draft prospect by Baseball America, but one thing that is concerning is his strikeout rate. As Teddy Cahill writes:

"Arizona third baseman Bobby Dalbec might have the most power in the draft class (he hit 16 home runs during the summer between the Cape Cod League and the Collegiate National Team), but he also has significant swing-and-miss. He struck out in 41 percent of his plate appearances on the Cape and has whiffed in 24.16 percent of his plate appearances in his first two years with the Wildcats. That is higher than any player drafted in the first round in the past 10 years."

That'll be the thing to watch this year, as he is expected to be right in the hunt for the Pac-12 home run crown again. As long as he's not striking out as much, Arizona's offense could be much-improved in 2016.

The 2016 season starts on February 19th at Rice. The home opener is not until March 2nd when Cal State Fullerton comes to town.

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