Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Senior Mike Sodders of the New Mexico State baseball team earned a spot on the 2010 PING!Baseball Preseason All-American team, which was released Monday, Jan. 11.

Sodders (Moreno Valley, Calif.), a second team selection by PING!Basebball, now has three preseason honors after he also earned spots on the NCBWA All-American team and after he was named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger All-American team by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN). He is the first Aggie to ever be named to multiple preseason All-American teams.

"To be named to a third All-American team is unbelievable, but it shows that my team and I are continuing to work hard," Sodders said. "I have to credit my teammates and coaches for the hard work we have all been putting in to achieve our goals this season."

Sodders is the first Aggie to be named to the PING!Baseball Preseason All-American team and the second to make an PING!Baseball All-American team as former Aggie slugger Joseph Scaperotta earned second-team honors after a good season in 2008.

Sodders returns to NM State for the 2010 season after earning second team all-WAC honors in 2009. He looks to accomplish the types of feats he did last season as he was only the 23rd Aggie to ever finish a season hitting .400 or above. All-American shortstop Bryan Marquez also hit above .400 last season.

Sodders led the way with the bat last season as his team broke the school record for home runs in a season with 119. Sodders finished the year with a .422 batting average while coming up with 68 RBI, 19 doubles and 13 home runs.

Although Sodders played over half the season with a knee brace because of a torn ligament, he came back to lead the team and the league in batting average last season. Sodders is one of several returners from an Aggie baseball team that finished last season as not only the best offensive ballclub in the program's history but also one of the best ball clubs overall at NM State.

The team broke the school records for hits in a season (772), home runs in a season (119), extra base hits in a season (285), RBI in a season (628), total bases in a season (1,310), on-base percentage (.469), and slugging percentage (.599).

The Aggies open their season with the Annual Alumni game Saturday, Feb. 13 at Presley Askew Field before opening the regular season at the Cactus Classic Tournament in Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 19-21. That tournament features the Aggies going up against Washington, Gonzaga and Missouri.