Stratton Adds Another All-America Team Honor

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Pitcher Chris Stratton of Tupelo, Miss., racked up another first-team all-America team honor for 2012 Wednesday with his selection to the 2012 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America Team.

Stratton, the 2012 SEC Pitcher of the Year and a first-round draft selection/signee of the San Francisco Giants, ranked first or second in the SEC in wins (11-2), earned run average (2.38) and strikeouts (127) in leading Mississippi State to its first 40-win campaign since 2005. Mississippi State claimed its seventh SEC Tournament championship with a grueling 5-1 tourney run last month in Hoover, Ala., advancing to its 32^nd NCAA postseason appearance.

Stratton was accorded first-team Louisville Slugger All-America Team honors by Collegiate Baseball newspaper as well as second-team Capital One Academic All-America Team honors by the College Sports Information Directors of America last month. He received the C Spire / Ferriss Trophy as Mississippi's top collegiate player for 2012 and is a finalist for College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year honors.

Six other players from Southeastern Conference schools were among 56 players featured on the first, second or third-team units of the 17^th annual all-America listing by the NCBWA.

Stratton was the 20^th player selected in Major League Baseball's 2012 First-Year Player Draft last week and signed with the Giants Tuesday night in San Francisco. His 11 wins stands as the most by a Bulldog pitcher since 1990 while his 127 strikeouts ranks as the sixth-most in a season at State and the most in a season by a Bulldog hurler since 1997.

In three seasons the Bulldog right-hander compiled a 21-12 record with a 4.06 earned run average and 279 strikeouts, the third-highest career strikeout total at Mississippi State.