Six Pac-12 baseball players named freshman all-americans
Jun 4, 2014
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Five Pac-12 freshmen have been named to the 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-America team, released by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Wednesday.
STANFORD right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, headlines the class. The All-Pac-12 selection is 6-5 in his first year of collegiate baseball while his 2.69 ERA and .220 opposing batting average both rank ninth in the league. He has tossed two complete-game this season and recorded 93 strikeouts with 31 walks over 103.2 innings pitched.
Fellow starting pitcher Matt Krook of Oregon, closer Ian Hamilton of WASHINGTON STATE, first baseman A.J. Balta of OREGON, utility player Bobby Dalbec of ARIZONA and designated hitter Jeremy Martinez of USC join Quantrill on the team.
Krook pitched in 45 1/3 innings for the Ducks this season with 60 strikeouts and 19 walks. The left-hander only gave up 22 hits as he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.79 ERA.
Hamilton quickly became the Cougars’ closer, collecting a Conference-best 15 saves, a mark that ranked tied for 10th in the nation, en route to earning All-Pac-12 honors. He posted a 2.70 ERA and went 2-2 in 28 appearances in relief, recording 24 strikeouts with 12 walks over 30 innings.
Balta, a Valencia, Calif native, hit .242 with 12 doubles, 3 homers and 3 triples and drove in 29 runs. He also swiped 7 of 9 bases.
Dalbec hit .266 with 9 doubles, 2 homers and 30 RBI as a hitter. On the mound, he posted 2 saves with a 2.13 ERA over 22 appearances and a 3-5 record. He fanned 24 batters with 10 walks over 38 innings.
Martinez had a stellar freshman campaign for the Trojans, hitting .297 with 10 doubles, one home run and 29 RBI en route to earning Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors.
Last week, two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year Michael Conforto was named a Louisville Slugger First Team All-American along with teammates Jace Fry and Ben Wetzler—both left-handed weekend starters for the Beavers. WASHINGTON ace Tyler Davis garnered second-team honors after an outstanding year on the mound.