Fresno State Athletics
Trio of Diamond 'Dogs earn All-Mountain West honors
5/24/2018 12:30:00 PM | Baseball
Three Fresno State baseball student-athletes earned All-Mountain West honors, as announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon. All selections were voted upon by the league coaches based off conference-only statistics.
Junior right-handed pitcher Edgar Gonzalez earned postseason honors for the second straight season as he was the Bulldogs lone first-team nod after earning second-team accolades a season ago. Junior outfielder Zach Ashford and senior shortstop Korby Batesole both earned their first career All-MW postseason honor as the pair were named to the second-team.
One of three right-handed pitchers named to the first-team, Gonzalez posted a 5-2 mark with a 3.73 ERA tossing 63 strikeouts in 62.2 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .249 average from the plate in 10 MW starts. The Newark, Calif., native led the MW in strikeouts, tied for first in innings pitched, tied for second in wins and ranked sixth in ERA and opposing batting average in conference games.
Making quality starts (six or more innings, three or less earned runs) in six of 10 starts, Gonzalez saved his best start for last tossing a complete game four-hitter against UNLV at home on May 17 allowing one earned run and three walks while striking out seven. He also picked up wins against New Mexico (March 10), Nevada (March 24), at San Diego State (April 21) and at home against Air Force (April 27). He struck out five or more batters in eight of 10 starts and fanned 12 against Air Force at home in a 7-2 win.
One of three outfielders on the second-team, Ashford, who played and started all 30 MW games in center field, hit .338 from the plate to rank 15th in the league while recording 45 hits (sixth in the MW), 10 doubles (tied for fifth), three triples (tied for third), scored 23 runs and drove in 13 RBIs.
Notching 14 multi-hit games, the Clovis native recorded at least one hit in 27 games and reached base in all 30 games as he finished the season reaching base in 51 of the 52 games he played. He had a career-high four hits at Nevada on May 6 finishing the contest 4-for-5 with two singles, a double, home run, two runs scored and a walk.
Finally, Batesole earned one of five infielder spots on the second-team after starting all 30 games at shortstop. The Clovis native hit .293 from the dish tallying 36 hits, eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 19 runs scored and 10 RBIs. Batesole finished with 11 multi-hit games, including four of the 'Dogs final five MW contests, and had three three-hit contests against San Jose State (April 13), at Nevada (May 5) and at home against UNLV (May 17).
The 'Dogs, who finished the season 30-24 and fifth in the Mountain West, have now earned 27 All-Mountain West selections over the last six seasons in the conference with 13 first-team honorees and 14 second-team honorees. Gonzalez marks the 10th time a pitcher has been honored, fifth-time on the first-team, while Ashford is the eighth time an outfielder and Batesole is the ninth time an infielder has received the nod.
2018 MOUNTAIN WEST BASEBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Tony Gwynn Player of the Year:Â Grant Fennell, Sr., UTL, Nevada
Co-Pitcher of the Year:Â Garrett Hill, Jr., RHP, San Diego State
Co-Pitcher of the Year:Â Andrew Mitchel, Jr., LHP, San José State
Freshman of the Year:Â Joshua Zamora, 3B, Nevada
Coach of the Year:Â T.J. Bruce, Nevada
2018 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST BASEBALL FIRST TEAM
Nic Ready, Jr., 1B, Air Force
Edgar Gonzalez, Jr., RHP, Fresno State
Grant Fennell, Sr., UTL, Nevada
Kaleb Foster, Jr., C, Nevada
Mark Nowaczewski, Sr., RHP, Nevada
Joshua Zamora, Fr., 3B, Nevada
Chase Calabuig, Sr., OF, San Diego State
Garrett Hill, Jr., RHP, San Diego State
Jordan Verdon, Jr., 1B, San Diego State
Brett Bautista, Sr., LF, San José State
Andrew Mitchel, Jr., LHP, San José State
Kyle Isbel, Jr., CF, UNLV
Bryson Stott, So., SS, UNLV
2018 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
Rob Dau, Jr., C, Air Force
Zach Ashford, Jr., CF, Fresno State
Korby Batesole, Sr., SS, Fresno State
Mike Echavia, Sr., OF, Nevada
Jake Jackson, Fr., RHP, Nevada
Chad Bible, Jr., DH, San Diego State
Jacob Erickson, Fr., LHP, San Diego State
Julian Escobedo, So., OF, San Diego State
Fineas Del Bonta-Smith, Jr., RHP, San José State
Shane Timmons, Sr., 1B, San José State
Nick Ames, Jr., 1B, UNLV
Bryan Menendez, Sr., RHP, UNLV
Nick Rodriguez, Sr., 2B, UNLV
Alan Strong, Sr., RHP, UNLV
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