May 28, 2002
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State baseball players Jeremy West, Andre Ethier and Dustin Pedroia were all named to the All-Pacific-10 Conference First Team and nine other Sun Devils earned honorable mention distinction when the 2002 Pac-10 Baseball awards were announced today from the conference office in Walnut Creek, Calif.
In addition to West, Ethier and Pedroia being named to the first team, senior catcher Cesar Castillo (Yuma), sophomore pitcher Mike Esposito (Las Vegas), senior infielder Sergio Garcia (Paramount, Calif.), sophomore utility player Steve Garrabrants (Phoenix), freshman third baseman Jeff Larish (Tempe), junior pitcher Jered Liebeck (Glendale), junior pitcher Robbie McClellan (Liberal, Kan.), sophomore relief pitcher Ryan Schroyer (Casa Grande) and senior outfielder Jon Sheaffer (Mesa) all earned honorable mention awards. Garcia has now earned honorable mention in back-to-back years from the Big 12 at Oklahoma last year and from the Pac-10 this year.
West put together an amazing sophomore campaign, leading the Devils in several offensive categories. Heading into postseason play he is hitting .368 with 18 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs. He is second in the Pac-10 with 67 RBI and leads the conference with a .705 slugging percentage. West was twice named the Pac-10 Player of the Week and enters the regional this weekend riding a career-long nine-game hitting streak.
Ethier, a sophomore who was a member of the ASU team in the Fall of 2000 before playing last year at Chandler-Gilbert CC, was instrumental in ASU's success in 2002. The Devils leading hitter at .377 heading into postseason play, Ethier also has 14 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He missed nearly a month with a broken thumb, but has since come back strong with five hits in his last seven at-bats to end the 2002 regular season. Ethier torched Pac-10 opponents for a .431 batting average in 17 games.
Pedroia became only the second freshman in school history and the second in as many years to earn a spot on the all-conference team. Pedroia has been nearly flawless in the field while starting all 54 games this year, making only three errors in 205 total chances (.985 FLD%) and made only one error in 24 Pac-10 games. Heading into postseason play he is hitting .333 with 13 doubles and is currently second in ASU freshman history with 72 hits.
The Sun Devils open NCAA Tournament play this Friday night at 6 p.m. in a first-round contest against West Coast Conference champion San Diego. ASU has now advanced to the NCAA regionals in five of the last six years, hosted the regional in two of the past three years and are making the 26th trip to the NCAA's in the program's illustrious history.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alberto Concepcion, USC
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jeremy Guthrie, STANFORD
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Wes Whisler, UCLA
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Gillespie, USC
ALL-PAC-10 TEAM
Name School Pos Yr Ht Wt Hometown(2) - Two-time All-Conference selection.
Brian Barden (2) OSU 3B Jr. 5-11 195 Bonita, Calif. John Baker CAL C Jr. 6-1 220 Walnut Creek, Calif. Brian Barre (2) USC CF Sr. 5-9 185 Garden Grove, Calif. Jason Cooper STAN UT Jr. 6-2 210 Moses Lake, Wash. Tyler Davidson WASH RF Jr. 6-4 245 Edmonds, Wash. Andre Ethier ASU OF So. 6-3 175 Phoenix, Ariz. Sam Fuld (2) STAN OF So. 5-10 180 Durham, N.H. Ryan Garko STAN C Jr. 6-2 235 Walnut, Calif. Bookie Gates WSU 2B Sr. 6-1 198 Seattle, Wash. Brad Hassey ARIZ SS Sr. 5-10 165 Tucson, Ariz. Conor Jackson CAL 1B So. 6-3 205 Woodland Hills, Calif. Shawn Kohn WASH RHP Sr. 6-3 205 Woodinville, Wash. Joey Metropoulos USC DH Fr. 6-1 230 Spring Valley, Calif. Chris O'Riordan (2) STAN 2B Sr. 5-9 180 San Diego, Calif. Bill Peavey USC 1B Sr. 6-4 240 Brisbane, Calif. Dustin Pedroia ASU INF Fr. 5-8 157 Woodland, Calif. Carlos Quentin (2) STAN OF So. 6-2 215 Chula Vista, Calif. Anthony Reyes USC RHP Jr. 6-2 215 Whittier, Calif. Jeremy West ASU 1B So. 6-0 200 Las Vegas, Nev. Wes Whisler UCLA RHP/1B Fr. 6-5 227 Noblesville, Ind.
Honorable Mention: Josh Arhart, Sr., UCLA; Adam Berry, Sr., UCLA; Eddie Bonine, Jr., WSU; Matt Brown, So., CAL; Derek Bruce, Fr., WSU; Cory Campos, Jr., USC; Cesar Castillo, Sr., ASU; Chris Cunningham, Sr., ARIZ; Tim Cunningham, Jr., STAN; Michael Done, Sr., WASH; Moises Duran, So., ARIZ; Mike Esposito, So., ASU; Ben Francisco, Jr., UCLA; Sergio Garcia, Sr., ASU; Steve Garrabrants, So., ASU; Jay Garthwaite, Jr., WASH; Casey Grzecka, Sr., UCLA; John Hardy, Fr., ARIZ; Justin Hart, So., WSU; Aaron Hathaway, Fr., WASH; Evan Hecker, Sr., WSU; John Hudgins, So., STAN; Will Hudson, Jr., OSU; Brandon Hundt, Jr., WSU; Trevor Hutchinson, Sr., CAL; Greg Isaacson, So., WASH; Andy Jarvis, Jr., OSU; Ty Kline, Jr., OSU; Mike Kunes, Jr., UCLA; Jeff Larish, Fr., ASU; Kyle Larsen, Fr., WASH; Jeff LaRue, Jr., WSU; Jered Liebeck, Jr., ASU; Anthony Lunetta, Jr., USC; Aaron Mathews, Fr., OSU; Robbie McClellan, Jr., ASU; Michael Moon, So., USC; Nick Mosich, Jr., USC; David Nicholson, Fr., CAL; Seth Pietsch, So., OSU; Ryan Rasmussen, Sr., UCLA; Tila Reynolds, Jr., WASH; Jared Sanders, So., OSU; Ryan Schroyer, So., ASU; Jon Sheaffer, Sr., ASU; Andy Topham, Sr., STAN; Carson White, Sr., CAL; Sean White, Jr., WASH.