May 27, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) - Arizona State sophomore shortstop Dustin Pedroia was named the Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year and four other Sun Devils earned First-Team All-Pac-10 honors Tuesday when the all-conference team was announced from the league office in Walnut Creek, Calif.
Pedroia (Woodland, Calif.) was named the Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year with Stanford senior catcher Ryan Garko. The slick-fielding Sun Devil shortstop finished the regular season with a .418 batting average to lead the conference and recorded a team-leading 38 multi-hit games and 38 extra base hits. Pedroia also led the conference in runs scored (75), hits (112), doubles (32), at bats (268), total bases (160) and is fourth with a .487 on-base percentage. He also leads the nation with 32 doubles, setting an ASU and Pac-10 single-season record.
His 112 hits are the eighth most in ASU single-season history and is bidding to become only the 16th Sun Devil to hit over .400 in a season. He also currently ranks seventh with a .385 career batting average (194-for504) while starting 120 consecutive games (every game of his ASU career). Additionally, Pedroia has not made a fielding error in 20 straight games and bolsters an impressive .972 fielding percentage in 2003.
With his selection, Pedroia becomes the 10th Sun Devil to earn the Pac-10 Player of the Year award. Since the Pac-10 North and South divisions joined in 1999, ASU has had a player win the POY award in all but one season (1999: Willie Bloomquist; 2000: Casey Myers; 2001: Casey Myers; 2003: Pedroia).
Andre Ethier (Jr., OF), Steve Garrabrants (Jr., 2B), Ryan Schroyer (RHP, Jr.) and Jeff Larish (So., 1B) were the four ASU First-Team All-Pac-10 selections. Ethier was named for the second straight year. Arizona and Stanford also had four players selected to the first team. In addition, seven Sun Devils were named to the honorable mention All-Pac-10 team. Ben Thurmond (Sr., RHP), Jeremy West (Jr., DH), Travis Buck (Fr., OF), Jered Liebeck (RHP, Sr.), Frank Mesa (So., INF), Nick Walsh (Jr., UTL) and Tuffy Gosewisch (So., C) were all named honorable mention All-Pac-10.