Michael Choice
Baseball
Even after his college career ended, Michael Choice continued to make history. In June the Oakland Athletics selected the UT Arlington outfielder with the 10th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft and awarded him a $2 million signing bonus.
Choice becomes the first Maverick taken in the first round. He was named the 2010 SLC Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year and led the league with a .383 batting average, 16 home runs, and 59 runs batted in. His 76 walks were the most in the nation and a single-season conference record, and his .568 on-base percentage ranked second in the nation.
In three seasons at UT Arlington, the 20-year-old junior set the career home run record with 34. He ranks second in career batting (.392), runs batted in (162), and total bases (393). Choice is the first Maverick to be named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, presented to the nation’s top amateur baseball player. He was named to five All-America teams after the 2010 season.
