Auburn’s Hunter Morris was tabbed a preseason First-Team All-America choice by Baseball America, the organization announced on Friday.

A junior, Morris heads into the 2010 season with a .318 career batting average having collected 22 doubles and 23 home runs, driving in 82 during his first two seasons at Auburn.

“This is a tremendous honor for Hunter as he has worked extremely hard to improve his overall game,” Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said. “He will play a major part in helping the Tigers get back to postseason play. Hunter has made Auburn baseball proud with this preseason accolade.”

Morris was a Baseball America Freshman All-American in 2008 when he hit .351 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 49 RBI en route to being named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.

“It’s a great honor to be named an All-American,” Morris said. “It is preseason though and I have a lot to live up to. It is not an added pressure, just a standard that I set for myself. I am glad to be recognized, but now I have to go out and play to my capability. I hope that I can help lead Auburn to someplace we haven’t been in a while.”

Morris was one of 13 Southeastern Conference players on the three preseason teams and one of seven on the first team.

Morris is Auburn’s first Baseball America preseason All-American since Mike Bianucci was a third-team selection in 2008. The last player to be named an All-American at the end of a season was John Madden, who was named to the NCBWA Third Team. Auburn’s last Baseball America All-Americans were First Team selections Todd Faulkner and Gabe Gross in 2000.

Auburn opens the season Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. when it plays host to Southeast Missouri State.