TEMPE, Ariz. – Four Sun Devil Baseball student-athletes earned Pac-12 All-Conference honors, including one first-team selection, the Pac-12 announced Thursday. The All-Conference selections were determined by a polling of the coaches in the Pac-12.
Sophomore Gage Canning picked up first-team honors, the second year in a row the outfielder net All-Conference honors, as he was an honorable mention recipient in 2016. He became the 35th Sun Devil since 2010 to earn First Team All-Conference honors.
Rounding out the selections were freshmen Hunter Bishop and Lyle Lin, and senior Zach Cerbo, all of whom were first-time honorees. Cerbo was also named to the All-Academic team yesterday, awarded to starting players who earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or higher.
Bishop and Lin's honors mark the first time since 2010 two or more freshman earned an All-Conference nod, when Brady Rodgers and Deven Marrero accomplished the feat.
ASU's All-Conference Honorees
Gage Canning, So., OF – first team
Hunter Bishop, Fr., OF – honorable mention
Zach Cerbo, Sr., C – honorable mention
Lyle Lin, Fr., 1B – honorable mention
Canning didn't miss a beat in 2017, as he was one of three players to start all 55 games for the Devils. The California-native led the team in virtually every hitting category, including batting average (.332), runs (37), doubles (12), triples (8), home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.538). He was the only player in the Pac-12 to finish with a double-digit number doubles while also posting at least six home runs and six triples.
On top of dominating the leader boards at ASU, Canning's eight triples were the most by a player in the conference and second-most in the NCAA, behind only Brent Sakurai of New Mexico State who knocked nine. Canning also recorded 120 total bases on the season, good for third in the conference. The outfielder really hit his stride in the middle of the season, as he went on a 12-game tear in which he hit at a .538 clip, including five three-hit nights and a four hit performance.
After a start to the season that saw him batting .250 after 30 games, Bishop finished the season strong. The freshman finished his 2017 campaign with an impressive .301 batting average, five doubles, four triples and five home runs. He ranked second on the team – behind only Canning – in batting average, runs scored (27), triples, home runs and slugging percentage (.484). Bishop started 31 games in the outfield season to become just the sixth ASU freshman in the past 15 years to start over 50 percent of the season in the outfield, most recently done by Canning last season. His 10 multi-RBI games were also a team-best.
2017 was the first season that Cerbo saw significant playing time, and he didn't waste that opportunity. The senior started in 40 games for the Devils after totaling just 22 in his first three years at ASU combined. Cerbo batted .299 on the season with nine doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI. An on-base machine, Cerbo worked a team-best 27 walks and tallied a team-best .410 on-base percentage while striking out just 27 times, the second-lowest total among ASU's day-to-day starters. Cerbo's 11 runner caught stealing were good for fourth in the conference. The catcher also made it onto SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day for a game-saving, diving tag he made at the plate against Oregon.
Lin burst onto the collegiate scene on a high note, batting over .300 midway through the season. The infielder bounced between catching and playing first base, but joined Canning as one of only three players to start all 55 games for the Devils. Lin finished his freshman campaign batting .290 with nine doubles, one triple and two home runs. Lin's nine multi-RBI games were good for second on the team and he had a team-best 24-game reached base streak at one point in the season - the third-longest for a Sun Devil freshman since the 2000 season. His 12-game hitting streak at one point in the season was tied for Canning for the longest of the year while his 17 multi-hit games were second on the team. He was also solid defensively, as Lin was one of two Devils this season to make it to SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day for a diving snag down the first base line against California.
Sophomore Gage Canning picked up first-team honors, the second year in a row the outfielder net All-Conference honors, as he was an honorable mention recipient in 2016. He became the 35th Sun Devil since 2010 to earn First Team All-Conference honors.
Rounding out the selections were freshmen Hunter Bishop and Lyle Lin, and senior Zach Cerbo, all of whom were first-time honorees. Cerbo was also named to the All-Academic team yesterday, awarded to starting players who earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or higher.
Bishop and Lin's honors mark the first time since 2010 two or more freshman earned an All-Conference nod, when Brady Rodgers and Deven Marrero accomplished the feat.
ASU's All-Conference Honorees
Gage Canning, So., OF – first team
Hunter Bishop, Fr., OF – honorable mention
Zach Cerbo, Sr., C – honorable mention
Lyle Lin, Fr., 1B – honorable mention
Canning didn't miss a beat in 2017, as he was one of three players to start all 55 games for the Devils. The California-native led the team in virtually every hitting category, including batting average (.332), runs (37), doubles (12), triples (8), home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.538). He was the only player in the Pac-12 to finish with a double-digit number doubles while also posting at least six home runs and six triples.
On top of dominating the leader boards at ASU, Canning's eight triples were the most by a player in the conference and second-most in the NCAA, behind only Brent Sakurai of New Mexico State who knocked nine. Canning also recorded 120 total bases on the season, good for third in the conference. The outfielder really hit his stride in the middle of the season, as he went on a 12-game tear in which he hit at a .538 clip, including five three-hit nights and a four hit performance.
B7 | Just don't pitch to him...@gagecanning knocks his NATION-LEADING SEVENTH 3B of the season and SECOND of the game.#Devils 12-6. pic.twitter.com/xTTLxuu5ty
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 22, 2017
After a start to the season that saw him batting .250 after 30 games, Bishop finished the season strong. The freshman finished his 2017 campaign with an impressive .301 batting average, five doubles, four triples and five home runs. He ranked second on the team – behind only Canning – in batting average, runs scored (27), triples, home runs and slugging percentage (.484). Bishop started 31 games in the outfield season to become just the sixth ASU freshman in the past 15 years to start over 50 percent of the season in the outfield, most recently done by Canning last season. His 10 multi-RBI games were also a team-best.
Good players get hot. pic.twitter.com/pMGcvRvJFN
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) May 14, 2017
2017 was the first season that Cerbo saw significant playing time, and he didn't waste that opportunity. The senior started in 40 games for the Devils after totaling just 22 in his first three years at ASU combined. Cerbo batted .299 on the season with nine doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI. An on-base machine, Cerbo worked a team-best 27 walks and tallied a team-best .410 on-base percentage while striking out just 27 times, the second-lowest total among ASU's day-to-day starters. Cerbo's 11 runner caught stealing were good for fourth in the conference. The catcher also made it onto SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day for a game-saving, diving tag he made at the plate against Oregon.
"NOT TODAY" - @ZCerbo, definitely.
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 30, 2017
The senior catcher lays out for the huge out at the plate and the DEVILS WIN!https://t.co/SIij0cvRmx
Lin burst onto the collegiate scene on a high note, batting over .300 midway through the season. The infielder bounced between catching and playing first base, but joined Canning as one of only three players to start all 55 games for the Devils. Lin finished his freshman campaign batting .290 with nine doubles, one triple and two home runs. Lin's nine multi-RBI games were good for second on the team and he had a team-best 24-game reached base streak at one point in the season - the third-longest for a Sun Devil freshman since the 2000 season. His 12-game hitting streak at one point in the season was tied for Canning for the longest of the year while his 17 multi-hit games were second on the team. He was also solid defensively, as Lin was one of two Devils this season to make it to SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day for a diving snag down the first base line against California.
IT'S OFFICIAL #Linsanity has reached @espn. pic.twitter.com/d9TR3zBEhK
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 9, 2017