StarBulletin.com

Rainbows place 4 on All-WAC baseball first team


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POSTED: Wednesday, May 26, 2010

MESA, Ariz. » Hawaii joined regular-season conference champion Fresno State with a league-high four first-team All-Western Athletic Conference selections announced last night.

Juniors Jeff Van Doornum and Greg Garcia and sophomores Lenny Linsky and Kolten Wong were named to the 15-member team that included just four seniors.

Junior Josh Slaats was the only Rainbow named to the second team.

Garcia, a three-year starter at shortstop, finished third in the league with a .413 average in 24 conference games. He led the team with a .510 on-base percentage and had 21 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Van Doornum, who played some in right field in addition to his time at designated hitter, hit .383 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs.

Wong, a second baseman, stole a league-leading nine bases in WAC play and hit .360 with six doubles and 20 runs scored. He hit .356 (16-for-45) in the leadoff spot with 11 runs and four doubles in 11 games.

Linsky, the Rainbows' closer, recorded four of his 11 saves in conference play and was 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA. He struck out eight in 10 appearances and held opposing batters to a .170 average.

Slaats, the team's No. 1 starter throughout conference play, was 2-2 with a 6.67 ERA in six starts, but did throw a five-hit shutout at Louisiana Tech. He struck out 25 in 27 innings.

Fresno State junior Jordan Ribera, who hit two game-winning home runs on the final day of the WAC tournament last year in Hawaii, was named player of the year and Bulldogs coach MIke Batesole the coach of the year. Nevada junior Brock Stassi, who missed the UH series with a calif injury, was named pitcher of the year and Spartans freshman Zack Jones the freshman of the year.

The all-conference teams were not based on position this year.

WAC BASEBALL AWARDS

Player of the year—Jordan Ribera, Jr., Fresno State

Pitcher of the year—Brock Stassi, Jr., Nevada

Freshman of the year—Zack Jones, San Jose State

Coach of the year—Mike Batesole, Fresno State

First team

Bobby Coyle, DH, Jr., Fresno State; Greg Gonzalez, SP, Jr., Fresno State; Jordan Ribera, 1B, Jr., Fresno State; Dusty Robinson, OF, So., Fresno State; Greg Garcia, SS, Jr., Hawaii; Lenny Linsky, So., RP, Hawaii; Jeff Van Doornum, DH, Jr., Hawaii; Kolten Wong, 2B, So., Hawaii; Devon Dageford, OF, Sr., Louisiana Tech; Mark Threlkeld, 3B, So., Louisiana Tech; Shaun Kort, 1B, Sr., Nevada; Brock Stassi, SP, Jr., Nevada; Leo Aguirre, 1B, Sr., New Mexico State; Blake McFarland, SP, Jr., San Jose State; Corey Valine, 3B/UTIL, Sr., San Jose State

Second team

Danny Muno, 2B, Jr., Fresno State; Josh Poytress, SP, So., Fresno State; Garrett Weber, SS, Jr., Fresno State; Josh Slaats, SP, Jr., Hawaii; Clint Ewing, C, Jr,. Louisiana Tech; Joey Ford, 2B, Jr., Louisiana Tech; Alex Williams, DH, So., Louisiana Tech; Brian Barnett, OF, Jr., Nevada; Jeremy Cole, SP, Jr., Nevada; Tyler Graham, RP, Sr., Nevada; Nick Melino, OF, So,. Nevada; Brock Stassi, UTIL, Jr., Nevada; Ryan Aguayo, SS, Jr., New Mexico State; Trevor Paine, DH, Jr., Sacramento State; Josh Powers, 1B, Sr., Sacramento State