2002 Outlook
With the departure of starting outfielders John Cole and Adam Stern, junior college transfer Adam Riddle enters the spring as one of the favorites for a starting spot in the outfield. Riddle, who led all junior college players with a .560 average last spring, hit .300 with a team-best 13 stolen bases during the fall. A first-team All-American, he is one of the fastest players in the program and joins former junior college teammate Josh Birmingham on the 2002 roster.
New Mexico Junior College
After spending one semester at Texas Tech, Riddle blossomed under the tutelage of coach Ray Birmingham at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, N.M. Last spring, Riddle earned first-team NJCAA All-America honors, leading the nation with a .560 average with nine homers and 49 RBIs. He also topped all junior college hitters with 32 doubles and ranked second nationally with 94 hits. A 37th-round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Riddle finished his sophomore year with 30 stolen bases en route to earning conference and regional MVP honors. A strong defensive outfielder, Riddle also had nine triples last spring for NMJC, which led the nation with an astonishing .436 team average. As a freshman, Riddle hit .342 for the Thunderbirds. He also looked at Texas A&M, Alabama, Pittsburgh and Arizona before selecting Nebraska.
Cooper High School
A two-sport standout in high school, Riddle batted .430 as a senior for Coach Scotty Pugh, garnering all-district honors on the diamond. As a junior, he batted .444 with two doubles and nine RBIs. Riddle also captured all-district honors on the gridiron as a senior, hauling in 34 passes for 729 yards and eight TDs, earning interest from SMU, Kansas and Texas Tech.
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