USA Today Story
San Marcos, Texas – Former Texas State baseball player Paul Goldschmidt, who made his major league debut about a month ago with the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been named the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year.
Goldschmidt, who has spent the majority of the season playing for Arizona's Double-A affiliate (Mobile Bay Bears), was called up to the majors after playing 103 games in Mobile this season. The power-hitting first baseman proved himself in the minors this season, leading the entire minor leagues with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs while also sporting a .306 batting average and .435 on-base percentage.
Goldschmidt became the fifth player from Texas State, and first position player, to make it to big leagues, joining pitchers Scott Linebrink, Jeremy Fikac, William Brunson and Joe Vance. Linebrink is the only other Bobcat currently in the majors, now playing for the Atlanta Braves in his 12th MLB season.
While at Texas State, Goldschmidt set career records for home runs (36), doubles (45), walks (110) and RBIs (369) during his three-year career. He also left San Marcos holding the team's single-season home runs record (18), which was eclipsed this past season by Casey Kalenkosky (21), along with the record for RBIs (88) and doubles (21). He was named a Louisville Slugger All-America Second Team selection and American Baseball Coaches Association All-America Third Team selection after the 2009 season in which he led the Bobcats to a team record 41 wins and berth in the NCAA Regionals.
