Baseball America Names Luna To Freshman All-America Team
6/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 30, 2006
Baseball America 2006 Freshman All-America team
After an outstanding debut season of college baseball, Rice outfielder Aaron Luna was named a first team freshman all-America by Baseball America magazine on Friday (June 30).
Luna added freshman all-America accolades from Baseball America to a growing resume that already included freshman all-America honors from Collegiate Baseball as well as second team all-Conference USA and selection to the C-USA all-Freshman team. The standout from Southlake hit .322 with 16 home runs in his first season at the Division I level. His 16 round-trippers were among the most of any freshman in the country and he set the new Rice record for home runs by a freshman. Luna finished among the C-USA league leaders in homers and slugging percentage (.638).
The former multi-sport star from Carroll High School hit .345 in Rice's 10-game run through the NCAA Tournament, including a .333 average at the College World Series in Omaha. Luna worked his way into the Owls' lineup and started 61 of the team's 70 games as a true freshman. He displayed versatility by making 31 starts in the outfield and 17 at third base. Luna quickly grabbed some national attention in the Owls' first two games of the year by hitting home runs in each of his first three collegiate at bats. Later in the year he had back-to-back games where he hit a grand slam. Luna slugged two or more hits in a game 16 times and drove in two or more runs in a game 12 times.
Rice baseball has had players earn freshman all-America honors in three of the last five seasons. Luna helped the Owls finish the 2006 season with a 57-13 record and ranked third in the country.
