Four Pac-12 baseball players named NCBWA all-americans

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Four Pac-12 baseball players have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division I All-America teams, the NCBWA announced Wednesday. OREGON STATE junior outfielder Michael Conforto, junior left-handed pitcher Jace Fry and senior left-handed pitcher Ben Wetzler represent the Conference on the first team while WASHINGTON junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Davis was a third-team honoree. All four were All-Pac-12 performers this year.

 

Conforto was named Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second-straight year after boasting a .364 batting average and a .578 slugging percentage during the regular season, both of which led his team and were a best in the Pac-12. His 55 walks total this year were an Oregon State program record while his efforts at the plate earned him the Conference’s individual regular season batting championship.

 

Fry became the first-ever Beaver to earn the honor of Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year after recording a 1.43 regular season ERA, which was third in the league and 15th in the country. He finished the year 11-2  with a 1.80 ERA in 16 appearances while boasting a .192 opposing batting average and notching 94 strikeouts. He also tied for the lead-league with four complete games in 2014.

 

Wetlzer, who returned to Oregon State for his senior year after being drafted in the 2013 MLB Draft, joined Fry on one of the best weekend rotations in college baseball this year. The senior went 12-1 with 83 strikeouts, while his 0.78 ERA in 14 appearances led the country. 

 

Davis emerged as the ace for the Huskies this season, who are making their first appearance in the postseason since 2004. The junior went 11-2 with a 1.60 ERA and 62 strikeouts. He was the fourth player in Husky program history with 11+ wins in a season and the first to reach the 11-win plateau since Tim Lincecum recorded 12 wins did it in 2006. He was the first UW pitcher in program history to throw a complete-game shutout in the postseason.

 

Conforto and Wetzler are one of five finalists for the 28th Annual Dick Howser Trophy, given to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year. The honor, which is voted upon by NCBWA members and awarded since 1987, will be announced on Saturday, June 14, in Omaha at 10 a.m. CT at the TD Ameritrade Stadium Press Interview Room.

 

To view a complete list of 2014 NCBWA All Americans, visit www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa.