AYERS EARNS SECOND TEAM RAWLINGS ALL-WEST REGION HONORS

7/2/2012

Andrew Ayers was named second team all-West Region after a standout junior season.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State junior Andrew Ayers, the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, has added another award to his growing list of accolades as the second baseman was named second team Rawlings all-West Region.

Ayers, who hit .336 with 36 runs, 16 doubles, two triple, three home runs and 31 RBIs in 220 at-bats, was one of 33 total players and one of three second baseman named either first-team or second-team by the region's 38 head coaches.

Ayers is the first player in program history to earn all-West Region honors.

Pepperdine's Joe Sever, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, was named first team all-West Region at second base while Ayers and Cal State Fullerton's Richy Pedroza were second-team choices.

Ayers was the only player from the WAC to be honored. While the Eureka, Calif., native was solid all season, Ayers shined brightest in league play, where he hit .427 with 13 runs, seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 18 RBIs in just 18 conference games. He slugged .627 and posted a .443 on-base percentage in those contests.

Along with the all-region selections, the West Coast coaches named Arizona manager Andy Lopez the region's coach of the year after he led the Wildcats to a national championship. UCLA's Beau Amaral and Pepperdine's Zach Vincej earned the West region ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove awards.

Sacramento State returns six of its eight position starters along with all three starting pitchers after winning its first WAC regular season title in program history and advancing to the WAC Tournament title game.

FIRST TEAM ALL-WEST REGION
C - Tyler Heineman, UCLA
1B - Taylor Ard, Washington State
2B - Joe Sever, Pepperdine*
SS - Alex Mejia, Arizona*
3B - Kris Bryant, San Diego and Stephen Piscotty, Stanford
OF - Mitch Haniger, Cal Poly*
OF - Michael Conforto, Oregon State
OF - Jeff Gelalich, UCLA
DH - Corey LeVier, San Diego
SP - Alex Keudell, Oregon*
SP - Kurt Heyer, Arizona
SP - Mark Appel, Stanford
SP - Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga*
RP - Jimmie Sherfy, Oregon
RP - Scott Griggs, UCLA

SECOND TEAM ALL-WEST REGION
C - Colton Plaia, LMU
1B - Brian Ragira, Stanford
2B - Andrew Ayers, Sacramento State* and Richy Pedroza, Cal State Fullerton
SS - Zach Vincej, Pepperdine and Tyler Smith, Oregon State
3B - Seth Majias-Brean, Arizona
OF - Robert Refsnyder, Arizona
OF - Royce Bolinger, Gonzaga
OF - Derek Jones, Washington State and Brett Vertigan, UC Santa Barbara
DH - Clayton Eslick, Gonzaga
SP - Brady Rodgers, Arizona State
SP - Adam Plutko, UCLA
SP - Dylan Floro, Cal State Fullerton*
SP - Trevor Williams, Arizona State
RP - Michael Wagner, San Diego

* Denotes conference player or pitcher of the year