MESA, Ariz. - The Western Athletic Conference has announced its All-WAC baseball teams and major awards as selected by the league's 10 head coaches. NM State's Daniel Johnson was named WAC Player of the Year while Seattle U's Nick Meservey took home WAC Pitcher of the Year. North Dakota's Miles Lewis earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors and Seattle U's Donny Harrel was named WAC Coach of the Year.
Johnson, a junior outfielder from Vallejo, Calif. (Jesse Bethel HS/Northeast Oklahoma A&M), posted a .416 batting average in WAC play to lead all hitters. He also led the league in slugging percentage (.720), hits (52), runs scored (36), home runs (8), total bases (90) and stolen bases (15). Johnson earned WAC Hitter of the Week honors three times during the season.
Meservey, a sophomore left-hander from Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS), went 4-1 in nine appearances for the Redhawks, posting a 2.47 earned-run average. Opponents hit just .218 off him in 47 and one-third innings pitched as he recorded 49 strikeouts and walked 25 for a nearly two-to-one strikeout to walk ratio. Opponents had just 12 extra-base hits off him in 174 at-bats as he helped lead the Redhawks to the WAC regular season title. Meservey twice earned WAC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Lewis, a freshman outfielder from Hudson, Wis. (Hudson HS), was ninth in the WAC in batting, leading the Fighting Hawks with a .368 average in conference play. He was fourth in the WAC in hits with 39 and tied for fourth in stolen bases with 10. His 1.44 hits per game ranked him fifth in the conference.
Harrel earns WAC Coach of the Year honors in his seventh season leading the Redhawks. The architect of the reborn baseball program, he led Seattle U to their first WAC baseball regular season title and the second-straight top seed in the WAC tournament. For the second straight season, his program set a new single season wins record, currently with 35.
2016 First Team All-WAC
Catcher: Mason Fishback, So., NM State
First Base: Sean Sutton, So., Seattle U
Second Base: Sheldon Stober, Sr., Seattle U
Third Base: Brock Carpenter, Jr., Seattle U
Shortstop: *Paul Panaccione, Sr., Grand Canyon
Outfield: Daniel Johnson, Jr., NM State
Outfield: Dustin Frailey, Jr., CSU Bakersfield
Outfield: !Mark Krueger, Sr., Utah Valley
At-Large: ~Garrison Schwartz, So., Grand Canyon
At-Large: Greyson Bogden, Sr.,Utah Valley
Starting Pitcher: Nick Meservey, So., Seattle U
Starting Pitcher: Max Karnos, Jr., Sacramento State
Relief Pitcher: Zach Wolf, Fr., Seattle U
At-Large: #Danny Beddes, Sr., Utah Valley
2016 Second Team All-WAC
Catcher: Jose Garcia, Jr., UT Rio Grande Valley
First Base: Zach Malis, Fr., Grand Canyon
Second Base: Austin Bull, Fr., Grand Canyon
Third Base: Trey Stine, Jr., NM State
Shortstop: LJ Hatch, Jr., NM State
Outfield: Miles Lewis, Fr., North Dakota
Outfield: $Chris Lewis, Sr., Sacramento State
Outfield: Craig Brinkerhoff, Sr., Utah Valley
At-Large: *David Metzgar, Jr., CSU Bakersfield
At-Large: Nick Tanner, Jr., Northern Colorado
Starting Pitcher: Zach Muckenhirn, Jr., North Dakota
Starting Pitcher: Jake Mayer, So., Utah Valley
Relief Pitcher: Joe Galindo, Jr., NM State
At-Large: Tyler Beardsley, Sr., Sacramento State
WAC Player of the Year: Daniel Johnson, Jr., OF, NM State
WAC Pitcher of the Year: Nick Meservey, So., Seattle U
WAC Freshman of the Year: Miles Lewis, OF, North Dakota
WAC Coach of the Year: Donny Harrel, Seattle U
* 2015 First Team All-WAC
~ 2015 Second Team All-WAC
! 2014 First Team All-WAC
#2014 Second Team All-WAC
$ 2013 First Team All-WAC