Fresno State Athletics
Ribera, Batesole Earn Top WAC Honors
5/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 25, 2010
MESA, Ariz. - Junior Jordan Ribera and head coach Mike Batesole took home the top honors from the Western Athletic Conference Banquet Tuesday night. Ribera was named WAC Player of the Year, while Batesole was named the 2010 WAC Coach of the Year. Fresno State had a total of seven players earn All-WAC honors, which tied Nevada for the most selections.
Bobby Coyle, Greg Gonzalez, Jordan Ribera and Dusty Robinson earned first-team All-WAC accolades. The Bulldogs along with Hawai'i had the most players earn first-team honors. Danny Muno, Josh Poytress and Garrett Weber earned second-team All-WAC honors.
Coyle is hitting .344 in 57 games played. This is the first All-WAC honor for the junior transfer. Coyle leads the team in doubles with 17. He also has a triple, 10 home runs and 62 RBIs. Coyle has had 25 multi-hit games and recorded six RBIs in a single game this season.
This is the first All-WAC honor for Gonzalez. The junior opened the WAC season with a no-hitter against Hawai'i. Gonzalez leads the team in strikeouts with 67. He also earned Pitcher of the Week honors from the WAC and several national publications. Gonzalez heads into the tournament with a 7-2 record, which is the most wins on the team.
Ribera is the third-straight Bulldog to earn WAC Player of the Year honors and it is the first All-WAC accolade. The junior first baseman is hitting .335 after starting all 58 games this season. Ribera has 26 home runs, which has put him at the top of the national leader board for several weeks. He also leads the team in RBIs (65) and slugging percentage (.752).
Robinson, who was a preseason All-WAC pick, earns first-team All-WAC honors for the second year in a row. The left fielder has started all 58 games in 2010 and is hitting .326. He has 11 doubles, a team-high four triples, 14 home runs and 54 RBIs.
For the third straight year, Muno has earned an All-WAC honor. The second baseman is hitting .318 with 15 doubles, a triple, five home runs and 27 RBIs. For the second year in a row, Muno has started in every game and he has also appeared in every game the Bulldogs have played since he began his career in 2008.
This is the first post season WAC award for Poytress. The Friday night ace has struck out 57 batters in 64 innings. The sophomore has 6-5 record and an ERA of 5.59. Poytress threw his first complete game shutout over San Jose State.
Weber is another first-time All-WAC selection for the Bulldogs. The junior leads the team in hits with 89 and batting average at .397. Weber is close to finishing the season hitting .400 or better, which has only been done by six other Bulldogs in history. Weber has 13 doubles, a home run and 36 RBIs.
The Bulldogs also received their trophy for winning the 2010 regular season title.
Fresno State has a first round bye in the WAC Tournament and plays their first game on Thursday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m.
"We Are Your Team" The No. 1 seeded Bulldogs head to Mesa, Ariz. for the Western Athletic Conference tournament May 26-30. The `Dogs play their first game on Thursday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit the Bulldogs Ticket Office or call 559-278-DOGS.
