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An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889.[1]
The NCAA recognizes two different All-America selectors for the 1988 college baseball season: the American Baseball Coaches Association (since 1947) and Baseball America (since 1981).[2]
| ABCA | American Baseball Coaches Association[2] |
| BA | Baseball America[2] |
| Awarded the Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy or Rotary Smith Award as national Player of the Year[2] | |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had been named an All-American at that point[2] |
| ♦ | Inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame[3] |
| Position | Name | School | ABCA | BA | Notes |
| Pitcher | Andy Benes | Evansville |  |
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BA Pitcher of the Year[2] 2x MLB All-Star (1993, 1996),[4] First overall pick in 1988 Major League Baseball Draft,[4] Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Pitcher | Gregg Olson (2) | Auburn | |
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| Pitcher | John Salles | Fresno State | |
— |
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| Pitcher | Ben McDonald ♦ | LSU | — |
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44 consecutive scoreless innings pitched (3rd in Division 1),[6] 202 strikeouts in a single season (T-14th in Division I),[6] 1st overall pick in MLB Draft,[7] Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Pitcher | Kirk Dressendorfer ♦ | Texas | — |
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| Catcher | Bert Hefferman | Clemson | |
— |
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| Catcher | Jim Campanis, Jr. | Clemson | — |
|
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| First baseman | Lance Shebelut | Fresno State | |
|
32 home runs in a single season (1988) (T-13th in Division I)[6] |
| Second baseman | Mark Standiford | Wichita State | |
— |
313 career runs (4th in Division I),[6] 94 career doubles (2nd in Division I),[6] 652 career total bases (6th in Division I),[6] 301 career RBI (8th in Division I), 258 career BB (3rd in Division I)[6] |
| Second baseman | Kevin Higgins | Arizona State | — |
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| Third baseman | Robin Ventura (2) | Oklahoma State | |
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NCAA record 58-game hit streak,[8] 302 career RBI (7th in Division I),[6] 107 runs in a single season (1986) (T-9th in Division I),.[6] 792 career slugging percentage (T-14th in Division I),.[6] 428 career batting average (T-17th in Division I),[6] 2x MLB All-Star,[9] 6x Gold Glove Award winner,[9] Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Shortstop | Dave Silvestri (2) | Missouri | |
— |
Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Shortstop | Monty Fariss | Oklahoma State | — |
|
92 BB in a single season (1987) (6th in Division I),[6] |
| Outfielder | Mike Fiore | Miami | |
|
Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Outfielder | Tom Goodwin | Fresno State | |
|
164 career SB (9th in Division I),[6] Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Outfielder | Billy Masse | Wake Forest | — |
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Gold Medal at 1988 Summer Olympics[5] |
| Designated hitter | Mike Willes (2) | BYU | |
— |
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| Utility player | John Olerud ♦ | Washington State | |
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Made BA team as DH and P;[2] BA POY,.[2] 434 career batting average (12th in Division I),.[6] 824 career slugging percentage (9th in Division I), 2x MLB All-Star,[10] 3x Gold Glove Award winner[10] |