May 21, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Casey Myers' trophy shelf is getting full. In the same afternoon that he was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year, becoming the first Sun Devil to earn the prestigious award twice, Myers was named the team's Outstanding Offensive Player at the 2001 Sun Devil Baseball Awards Banquet.
Myers is second on the team in hitting at .386 and recently became only the third Sun Devil in history to reach 300 hits in a career. With 272 career RBI, he is just 11 RBI short of the ASU and Pac-10 career record of 283.
Freshman Rod Allen and junior Chris Duffy shared the Newcomer of the Year Award. Allen, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, is leading the team with a .387 batting average and has five home runs on the year. Duffy has tallied 25 multi-hit games in his rookie season with the Devils, starting 45 games in center field and hitting .374 with three home runs and 19 stolen bases.
The Development MVP award went to freshman outfielder Ryan McKenna (Elgin, Ill.). McKenna has improved greatly over the year and was a sparkplug for the Devils when they made their late-season run at postseason play. McKenna is hitting .283 with eight RBI.
The Mr. Fireman Award was awarded to standout relief pitchers Drew Friedberg and Aaron Klusman. Friedberg, a senior from Middleton, Wisc., leads the ASU pitching staff with a 1.88 ERA. In 23 games, the senior lefty has struck out 54, allowed only 11 earned runs in 52.2 innings and opposing batters are hitting only .203 off of him. He was named an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection. Klusman has been phenomenal during his redshirt freshman campaign, maintaining a 3.34 ERA and notching 49 strikeouts in 35 innings. He is 1-0 on the year with two saves.
The Jim Henderson Courage Award was given to redshirt freshman starting pitcher Mike Esposito. Esposito, who battled back from Tommy John surgery last year, is 5-2 with a 4.10 ERA this year.
The Jim Brock/Mr. Sun Devil Award was given to infielders Mike Lopez and Brooks Conrad. Lopez, ASU's senior starting third baseman, is hitting .316 on the year with three home runs and 19 doubles. Conrad, who was named to the All-Pac-10 team today for the second straight year, is hitting .286 with four home runs and 38 RBI.
The Bobby Winkles Award for outstanding hustle and team leadership was given to redshirt freshman Nick Walsh. The Alamo, Calif., native has been a sparkplug for ASU this year, hitting .287 with one home run. Walsh has three game-winning hits this year and has a .496 on-base percentage. ASU is 12-4 when he starts and hits leadoff.
The Pitcher of the Year Award was given to junior left-hander Jon Switzer and junior right-hander Andy Torres. Switzer is 5-5 on the year with a 3.75 ERA. Torres, who is among the NCAA leaders in wins, is 12-4 in his rookie campaign in Tempe with a 4.16 ERA.
The Outstanding Defensive Player Award was given to sophomore shortstop Dennis Wyrick. The slick-fielding Wyrick has a .928 fielding percentage and has also been a big contributor at the plate with the fourth-best batting average on the team (.368).
The Sun Devils will continue their season in postseason play, traveling to Fullerton, Calif., to play Texas Tech in the first round Friday at Goodwin Field.
2001 ASU Baseball Award Winners: Developmental MVP: Ryan McKenna Newcomer Award: Rod Allen/Chris Duffy Mr. Fireman Award: Andrew Friedberg/Aaron Klusman Jim Henderson Courage Award: Mike Esposito Jim Brock/Mr. Sun Devil Award: Brooks Conrad/Mike Lopez Bobby Winkles Award: Nick Walsh Pitcher of the Year: Andy Torres/Jon Switzer Outstanding Defensive Player: Dennis Wyrick Outstading Offensive Player: Casey Myers