No. 2 Jeff Butts
Outfield * 6-0 * 184 * L-L * Sophomore * 1L * Fort Worth, Texas (Daphne[AL] HS)2004
Game-savvy sophomore in the battle for a starting role at any one ofthe three outfield positions * Aggressive base-runner who is building on ayear of extensive playing time as a true freshman * Improved his overallstrength with a solid year of off-season conditioning * Among three truefreshmen to draw starts in the outfield in 2003 * Native Texan who playedhigh school ball in Alabama but now makes his home in Fort Worth, Texas.
2003
True freshman who played in 53 games and drew 28 starts, playing inall three outfield positions * Made 23 mid-season starts in center fieldreplacing injured regular Joseph Hunter * Also started four games in leftfield and one in right * Posted a .313 batting average, tops among MSU's returning lefties * Made his collegiate debut as a defensive replacement inright against East Tennessee State (Feb. 28) * Singled and scored in hisfirst career plate appearance the next day against ETSU (Mar. 1) * Went1-for-3 with two RBI and his first career double in a 9-4 win at New Orleans(Mar. 12) * Turned in 12 multi-hit games, including four-hit outings atGeorgia (May 11) and against Winthrop (May 13) * Sizzled at the plate duringa five-game stretch in mid-May, going 14-for-21 (.667) with five doubles andeight RBI * Went 6-for-9 with three doubles in a day/night doubleheaderagainst Southeastern Louisiana and Winthrop (May 13) * Laced a pair ofdoubles vs. SEL (May 13) * Ripped his lone career triple in a 2-1 win atSouth Carolina (Apr. 20) * Did not commit an error in 82 fieldingopportunities in the outfield * Led the team with six hits (.429) as apinch-hitter * Hit .258 in 23 SEC games (15 starts) * Named to the inauguralSEC Baseball Freshman Academic Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL
Three-year starter and four-year letter-winner at nationally-ranked Daphne High School * Coached by Mike Power * Tabbed as the Mobile Register Player of the Year and Alabama Class 6A Player of the Year in 2002 after hitting .395 with 26 RBI, 18 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases * Helped lead DHS to 30-10 record and second straight state 6A state title * Two-time Mobile Register "Deadly Diamond" team selection as an outfielder * Starred on team that finished 14th in 2002 and 3rd in 2001 in the final national prep rankings * As a junior compiled a .455 batting average and set school records with 65 hits and 17 doubles in Daphne's successful run for the 2001 state title * Member of the silver medal-winning USA Junior National Team that competed in the 2001 Pan American Tournament in Cuba * Collected a then-record 52 hits and batted .345 as a sophomore at DHS * Including a freshman season at nearby Fairhope High School, notched 75 stolen bases in 85 attempts over four years * Member of the National Honor Society and DHS chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Personal
Born Jeff Ryan Crawford Butts on August 30, 1983 in Houston, Texas * Son of Frank and Elizabeth Butts of Forth Worth, Texas * Majoring in General Business Administration.
YEAR AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HB SO SF S SB-SA PO A E FLD2003 .313 53-28 134 18 42 11 1 0 14 3 1 18 4 1 4-5 80 2 0 1.0002004 .282 58-54 170 26 48 10 2 0 15 26 3 32 3 3 4-6 92 0 2 .979 TOTAL .296 111-82 304 44 90 21 3 0 29 29 4 50 7 4 8-11 172 2 2 .989