You can follow college baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers on Twitter @KendallRogersYS and can join the Perfect Game College Baseball Facebook page

Opening Day is near and Perfect Game USA is pleased to announce its 2011 College Preseason All-America team, which is spearheaded by Rice third baseman and UCLA right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole.

Rendon has had a fabulous career for the Owls and was the nation’s best hitter last season. He’s expected to assume the same role this spring, and also is slated to be the top player taken in the upcoming MLB draft. Cole, meanwhile, also earned All-American honors last season and is slated to be the top pitcher selected.

Connecticut’s George Springer, South Carolina’s Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hawaii’s Kolten Wong are hot names to watch at the plate, while draft-eligible sophomore TCU pitcher Matt Purke and Vanderbilt pitcher Sonny Gray are hot names on the mound.

Perfect Game’s All-America team is primarily selected by college baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers, though scouting experts David Rawnsley and Allan Simpson also have significant input.


POSITION PLAYERS

C Peter O’Brien, Jr., Bethune-Cookman: He’s one of the nation’s best hitters and one of the top prospects for the upcoming draft. O’Brien is coming off a fantastic sophomore campaign, where he batted .386 with 13 doubles, 20 homers and 56 RBIs. He also slugged .748 and had a .445 OBP. The Wildcats expect another huge campaign.

1B Nick Ramirez, Jr., Cal State Fullerton: Ramirez also happens to be an elite reliever, but he’s even more dangerous at the plate. Ramirez is a top prospect and finished his sophomore campaign last season hitting .346 with 28 doubles, 16 homers and 75 RBIs. He also slugged .646 and had a .395 OBP. Ramirez is expected to increase his OBP this spring.

2B Kolten Wong, Jr., Hawaii: Wong is one of the hottest players entering the spring for a reason. He’s coming off a great campaign where he batted .357 with 15 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 40 RBIs. He also slugged .534 and had a .436 OBP. Wong, also a solid defender, is a fast-rising prospect.

SS Deven Marrero, Soph., Arizona State: It’s safe to say he’s the next great Sun Devils position player. Marrero didn’t have ultra-high offensive expectations as a freshman last season, but managed to hit .397 with 12 doubles, three triples, six homers and 42 RBIs. He also slugged .628, had a .442 OBP and had a .926 fielding percentage.

3B Anthony Rendon, Jr., Rice: If you want a glimpse at a future Major League star this season, Rendon is your guy. The talented junior has had a fantastic career for the Owls, and is coming off a campaign where he batted .394 with 12 doubles, a triple, 26 homers and 85 RBIs. He also slugged .801 and had a .530 OBP. Additionally, Rendon is an excellent defender, as evidenced by his .973 fielding percentage last season.

OF George Springer, Jr., Connecticut: Springer has become one of college baseball’s most dynamic players during his time with the Huskies. This season, he hopes for an even better campaign after hitting .337 with 16 doubles, four triples, 18 homers and 62 RBIs last season. He also slugged .658 and had a .491 OBP. There’s not a more talented position player outside of Rendon and Springer.

OF Alex Dickerson, Jr., Indiana: The Hoosiers hope to return to the NCAA postseason this spring with the electric outfielder leading the charge. Dickerson is coming off a great 2010 campaign, where he batted .419 with 19 doubles, 24 homers and 75 RBIs. He also slugged .805 and had a .472 OBP.

OF Jackie Bradley Jr., Jr., South Carolina: The Gamecocks need Bradley to be a stud again this season to have a chance at back-to-back national titles. Bradley was a key piece to their success last season, hitting .368 with 12 doubles, a triple, 13 homers and 60 RBIs. He also slugged .587 and had a .473 OBP. Bradley believes he could be a much better player this spring.

DH Jeremy Baltz, Soph., St. John’s: It’s not common for freshmen to have big-time offensive campaigns in their inaugural seasons, but Baltz defied those odds last season with an amazing season. He batted .396 with 16 doubles, 24 homers and 85 RBIs. He also slugged .771 and had a .479 OBP. The Johnnies have their sights set on a super regional with Baltz leading the charge.

UT Mike McGee, Sr., Florida State: The Seminoles were hurt when outfielder Tyler Holt signed near the draft deadline last summer, but received a shot in the arm when McGee decided to return for another season. McGee batted .328 last season with 17 homers and 73 RBIs. On the mound, he recorded 13 saves in 20 appearances and had a 2.96 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.


PITCHERS

SP Matt Purke, Lhp, Soph., TCU: Purke is a draft-eligible sophomore and is expected to sign later this year. But he still has a season to play with the national-title hoping Horned Frogs. Purke had an amazing freshman campaign, compiling a 16-0 record with a 3.02 ERA in 116 1/3 innings. He also struck out 142 and walked 34 and limited teams to a .212 average.

SP Gerrit Cole, Rhp, Jr., UCLA: It would be a surprise to some if Cole isn’t the top pitcher taken in the draft later this year, but first things first, the talented right-hander is aiming for a national title. Cole went 11-4 last season with a 3.37 ERA in 123 innings. He also struck out 153 and walked 52 and limited teams to a .205 average. UCLA has the nation’s best one-two punch with Cole and Trevor Bauer.

SP Sonny Gray, Rhp, Jr., Vanderbilt: The Commodores hope to reach the College World Series for the first time in school history this season with the talented right-hander as the headliner. Gray has had a solid career for the ‘Dores, and is coming off a campaign where he went 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 108 2/3 innings. He also struck out 113 and walked 48. Gray will be a sure first-round pick later this year.

SP Taylor Jungmann, Rhp, Jr., Texas: Jungmann is one of the top draft prospects and will be a top-10 pick in June. For now, though, he’s focused on trying to lead the Longhorns to their seventh national title. Jungmann went 8-3 last season with a 2.03 ERA in 120 innings. He also struck out 129 and walked 41. The ‘Horns expect another great campaign from the righty.

RP Matt Price, Rhp, Soph., South Carolina: Price was a huge reason the Gamecocks won their first national title last season. The talented right-hander recorded 10 saves in 31 appearances last season and had a 2.26 ERA in 55 2/3 innings. He also struck out 83 and walked 19 and limited teams to a .183 average. A draft-eligible sophomore, Price could greatly increase his stock with a strong campaign.

RP Mitchell Lambson, Lhp, Jr., Arizona State: The Sun Devils might have some question marks when it comes to their weekend rotation, but the bullpen is in good hands with the talented left-hander as the headliner. Lambson has had a great career and had a 2.16 ERA in 39 appearances and 75 innings last season. He also struck out 96 and walked 20 and limited teams to a .160 average.

Kendall Rogers is the managing editor of college baseball for Perfect Game USA and has covered the sport for over 10 seasons. He can be reached at kendall@perfectgame.org