Jan. 31, 2003

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis shortstop Ryan Coultas has been picked as the top NCAA Division II prospect by Baseball America, in the 2003 college preview edition. Coultas, a sophomore from Ventura, was the lone Aggie selected to the magazine's preseason All-America team in addition to his landing the top spot on its list of pro prospects.

"This is a nice honor for Ryan," said Aggie Head Coach Rex Peters. "He certainly has all the tools to be a professional player. He is good defensively with good hands and feet and a real strong arm. He also has a modern-day frame for a shortstop; tall, slender, all the physical tools. He has tremendous potential."

During his freshman campaign at UC Davis, Coultas batted a team-leading .379 to go with five home runs, 16 doubles, 35 RBIs, 46 runs and a .605 slugging percentage. He was named to the All-West Region first team and All-California Collegiate Athletic Association first team. He finished last season riding a season-best 21-game hitting streak as the Aggies reached the championship game of the CCAA Tournament.

UC Davis opens its 2003 season on February 7 at Cal Poly Pomona.