FRESNO STATE PICKED TO WIN WAC BASEBALL TITLE
February 10, 2009 For Immediate Release
FRESNO STATE PICKED TO WIN WAC BASEBALL TITLE; MENDONCA anD ALexander NAMED PRESEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR DENVER - Fresno State has been selected as the favorite to win the 2009 Western Athletic Conference regular season baseball crown in a vote by the league’s seven head coaches. The coaches also voted on a preseason all-WAC team, and Fresno State placed four players on the team while Hawai‘i, Nevada and New Mexico State each had three. Fresno State junior third baseman Tommy Mendonca was named the preseason player of the year, while Hawai‘i senior Jared Alexander was picked the preseason pitcher of the year. Fresno State received 34 points and five first place votes after a 47-31 season last year. The Bulldogs have won both the WAC regular season and tournament titles the past three seasons. Fresno State won last year's national title at the College World Series. San Jose State ranked second with 29 points followed by Nevada with 26, Hawai‘i with 25, New Mexico State with 14 points, Louisiana Tech with 13, and Sacramento State with six. The preseason all-WAC team included four Fresno State players: senior outfielder Gavin Hedstrom, junior outfielder Steve Detwiler, sophomore shortstop Danny Muno and junior third baseman Mendonca. Mendonca was picked as the preseason player of the year after hitting .281 last year with 70 RBI, 19 home runs and eight doubles.
2009 WAC Baseball Coaches’ Poll (Points awarded on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams)
Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
OF OF OF OF 1B 2B SS 3B C UTI SP SP SP RP RP
Team Fresno St. San Jose State Nevada Hawai‘i New Mexico St. Louisiana Tech Sacramento St.
1 5 1 – 1 – – –
2 – 3 3 1 – – –
3 1 2 2 2 – – –
4 – – 1 2 2 2 –
5 – – – – 4 3 –
6 Total – 34 – 29 – 26 – 25 – 14 1 13 6 6
Preseason All-WAC Team
Gavin Hedstrom, Sr., Fresno State Steve Detwiler, Jr., Fresno State Richard Stout, Sr., New Mexico State Tim Wheeler, Jr., Sacramento State Shaun Kort, Jr., Nevada Matt Bowman, Sr., Nevada Danny Muno, So., Fresno State Tommy Mendonca, Jr., Fresno State Landon Hernandez, Sr., Hawai‘i Tyson Jaquez, Sr., Nevada Jared Alexander, Sr., Hawai‘i Tyler Sturdevant, Sr., New Mexico State Max Peterson, Jr., San Jose State Josh Slaats, So., Hawai‘i Erik Nyquist, Sr., New Mexico State
Hawai‘i had three players on the team: Alexander, senior Player of the Year catcher Landon Hernandez, and sophomore relief pitcher Tommy Mendonca, Jr., Fresno State Josh Slaats. Alexander was selected the preseason pitcher Pitcher of the Year of the year after posting a 7-3 record with a 3.27 ERA last Jared Alexander, Sr., Hawai‘i season. Nevada had three players on the team: junior first baseman Shaun Kort, senior second baseman Matt Bowman, and senior utility player Tyson Jaquez. New Mexico State also placed three on the team in senior outfielder Richard Stout, senior pitcher Tyler Sturdevant, and senior relief pitcher Erik Nyquist. Junior outfielder Tim Wheeler represented Sacramento State. San Jose State’s representative was junior pitcher Max Peterson. The 47th year of WAC baseball begins Friday, February 20 when each of the league's seven teams will open regular season play. The WAC Tournament will be held in Honolulu at Hawai‘i's Les Murakami Stadium, May 2124. The top six teams will advance to the tournament. -WAC-
FRESNO STATE PICKED TO WIN WAC BASEBALL TITLE; MENDONCA anD ALexander NAMED PRESEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR DENVER - Fresno State has been selected as the favorite to win the 2009 Western Athletic Conference regular season baseball crown in a vote by the league’s seven head coaches. The coaches also voted on a preseason all-WAC team, and Fresno State placed four players on the team while Hawai‘i, Nevada and New Mexico State each had three. Fresno State junior third baseman Tommy Mendonca was named the preseason player of the year, while Hawai‘i senior Jared Alexander was picked the preseason pitcher of the year. Fresno State received 34 points and five first place votes after a 47-31 season last year. The Bulldogs have won both the WAC regular season and tournament titles the past three seasons. Fresno State won last year's national title at the College World Series. San Jose State ranked second with 29 points followed by Nevada with 26, Hawai‘i with 25, New Mexico State with 14 points, Louisiana Tech with 13, and Sacramento State with six. The preseason all-WAC team included four Fresno State players: senior outfielder Gavin Hedstrom, junior outfielder Steve Detwiler, sophomore shortstop Danny Muno and junior third baseman Mendonca. Mendonca was picked as the preseason player of the year after hitting .281 last year with 70 RBI, 19 home runs and eight doubles.
2009 WAC Baseball Coaches’ Poll (Points awarded on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams)
Rk. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
OF OF OF OF 1B 2B SS 3B C UTI SP SP SP RP RP
Team Fresno St. San Jose State Nevada Hawai‘i New Mexico St. Louisiana Tech Sacramento St.
1 5 1 – 1 – – –
2 – 3 3 1 – – –
3 1 2 2 2 – – –
4 – – 1 2 2 2 –
5 – – – – 4 3 –
6 Total – 34 – 29 – 26 – 25 – 14 1 13 6 6
Preseason All-WAC Team
Gavin Hedstrom, Sr., Fresno State Steve Detwiler, Jr., Fresno State Richard Stout, Sr., New Mexico State Tim Wheeler, Jr., Sacramento State Shaun Kort, Jr., Nevada Matt Bowman, Sr., Nevada Danny Muno, So., Fresno State Tommy Mendonca, Jr., Fresno State Landon Hernandez, Sr., Hawai‘i Tyson Jaquez, Sr., Nevada Jared Alexander, Sr., Hawai‘i Tyler Sturdevant, Sr., New Mexico State Max Peterson, Jr., San Jose State Josh Slaats, So., Hawai‘i Erik Nyquist, Sr., New Mexico State
Hawai‘i had three players on the team: Alexander, senior Player of the Year catcher Landon Hernandez, and sophomore relief pitcher Tommy Mendonca, Jr., Fresno State Josh Slaats. Alexander was selected the preseason pitcher Pitcher of the Year of the year after posting a 7-3 record with a 3.27 ERA last Jared Alexander, Sr., Hawai‘i season. Nevada had three players on the team: junior first baseman Shaun Kort, senior second baseman Matt Bowman, and senior utility player Tyson Jaquez. New Mexico State also placed three on the team in senior outfielder Richard Stout, senior pitcher Tyler Sturdevant, and senior relief pitcher Erik Nyquist. Junior outfielder Tim Wheeler represented Sacramento State. San Jose State’s representative was junior pitcher Max Peterson. The 47th year of WAC baseball begins Friday, February 20 when each of the league's seven teams will open regular season play. The WAC Tournament will be held in Honolulu at Hawai‘i's Les Murakami Stadium, May 2124. The top six teams will advance to the tournament. -WAC-
