June 3, 2010
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - With a 19-2 WCC record, the University of San Diego posted the best conference mark since the WCC went to a single division 21-game format. On Thursday, the Toreros were rewarded for their dominant play, landing eight players on the WCC's 25-man all-conference team, including the Player of the Year in senior outfielder James Meador and the Pitcher of the Year in junior RHP Kyle Blair. San Diego Head Coach Rich Hill was named the WCC Coach of the Year after guiding the Toreros to their third WCC title in the last four seasons. Joining Meador and Blair on the first-team are Sammy Solis, AJ Griffin, Matt Thomson, Nick McCoy, Kevin Muno, and Chris Engell. Dillon Checkal and Mike Ferraro were named All-WCC honorable mention.
Meador, who took home the WCC Player of the Year honor last season, becomes just the second player in conference history to earn the Player of the Year honor multiple times and the first since Santa Clara's Duane Larson also earned back-to-back awards in 1970-71. Meador paced the Toreros' high-powered offense, batting a league-best .488 during conference play, while ranking second in WCC games in hits (40) and RBI (25). The Ramona, CA native enters the NCAA Tournament ranked fifth on USD's all-time doubles list with 56, while his 62 RBI on the season rank him third on the Toreros' single-season RBI chart.
Blair has been magnificent on the mound for the Toreros, posting a league-best 6-1 record in conference play with an impressive 1.98 ERA, which was also tops in the WCC. Blair struck out a conference-best 71 batters in just 54.2 innings, while his strikeout-to-walk ratio (71-11) was also the best in the league. The Monte Sereno, CA native is just the third USD player in conference history to earn the league's top pitching honor, following Brian Matusz, who took home the award in 2008, and Ricky Barrett, who earned the honor in 2002.
Hill won his fourth WCC Coach of the Year honor and his third in the last four years. Hill, in his 12th season at USD, has led the Toreros to their fourth trip to the NCAA Regionals in the last five seasons.
Solis takes home his fist All-WCC accolade of his career after he too dominated the conference, not losing a game in league action until the final weekend. For WCC games, Solis recorded a 5-1 record and a 2.74 ERA, while striking out 48 batters. Opponents only hit .215 off of the south paw in WCC action. On the season, Solis posted a 9-2 record, struck out 87 batters and posted an ERA of 3.00.
Griffin takes home his fourth first-team All-WCC distinction. Griffin posted a perfect 5-0 record in league games with a 57-13 strikeout to walk ration and had an ERA of 3.26. Overall, Griffin was 7-3 with a 4.71 ERA and was second on the team in strike outs with 107.
Thomson takes home his first All-WCC distinction after having an outstanding WCC season. In league games, Thomson posted an impressive 0.69 ERA, with a 1-0 record and recorded four saves. On the season, Thomson was one of USD's two closers and recorded seven saves with an ERA of 2.63 and had a 1-2 record.
McCoy earned his first All-WCC first-team selection after hitting .351 with 26 hits, three doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI in league games. Overall, McCoy hit .298 with 51 hits, six doubles, three home runs and 32 RBI, while catching for one of the nation's best pitching staffs.
Muno also takes home his first All-WCC first-team distinction after serving as USD's lead-off hitter posting a .322 batting average in league games, with 29 hits, nine doubles, one home run, 11 RBI and leading the WCC with 12 stolen bases in WCC games. Overall, Muno led the team with 24 stolen bases, while hitting .288 with 60 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 18 RBI.
Engell was named first-team All-WCC for the first time in his career after having an impressive career-high 27 game hit streak, posted the best division I batting average in program history at .421, with 77 hits, six doubles, four triples, one home run and 33 RBI. In WCC games, Engell was also impressive as he hit .468 with 44 hits, four doubles, two triples, and 18 RBI. Engell was named WCC Player of the Week twice.
Checkal takes home All-WCC honorable mention after a break-out type season in which he posted a .393 batting average in league games, with 11 hits, one double, and two RBI. Overall, Check hit .423 with 22 hits, two doubles, and three RBI.
Ferraro takes home his first All-WCC distinction, as in his first season with the Toreros he hit .341 with 44 hits, 10 doubles, two home runs and 25 RBI. In league games, Ferraro hit .364 with 15 hits, five doubles, one home run and 13 RBI.
The Toreros will return to action on Friday as they open play in the Tempe Regional with a 2 p.m. game against the University of Hawaii.
2010 All-WCC First TeamNik Balog, USFConor Bernatz, USF (unanimous selection)Kyle Blair, USD (unanimous selection)Matt Bywater, PEP (unanimous selection)Mark Castellitto, GONTroy Channing, SMCCole Cook, PEP (unanimous selection)Chris Dennis, PORChris Engell, USD (unanimous selection)Rocky Gale, POR (unanimous selection)AJ Griffin, USDRyan Hawthorne, LMUDrew Heid, GON (unanimous selection)Riley Henricks, PORBrian Humphries, PEPGeoff Klein, SCUKyle Kraus, POR (unanimous selection)Nick McCoy, USD (unanimous selection)James Meador, USD (unanimous selection)Tommy Medica, SCU (unanimous selection)Kevin Muno, USDColin Rooney, PEPSammy Solis, USD (unanimous selection)Matt Thomson, USDStephen Yarrow, USF
2010 Honorable MentionNick Armenta, PORDillon Checkal, USDCJ Cullen, PORJustin Fazio, SMCMike Ferraro, USDFloyd Given, PEPNate Johnson, PEPPete Lavin, USFRyan Lipkin, USFMatt Lowenstein, LMUMatt Ozanne, SCUEvan Peters, SCUDerek Poppert, USFRyan Rieger, SCUJoe Sever, PEPZach Vincej, PEP
2010 WCC All-Freshman TeamNick Armenta, PORClayton Eslick, GONSteven Halcomb, GONMatt Lowenstein, LMU (unanimous selection)Jason Mahood, USF (unanimous selection)Matt Ozanne, SCURyan Rieger, SCU (unanimous selection)Joe Sever, PEP (unanimous selection)Zach Vincej, PEP (unanimous selection)Patrick Wisdom, SMC
