Manago chosen PacWest Player of the Year

Manago named Player of Year; Bailey earns top pitching honor

QUEEN CREEK, AZ - After claiming the 2008 Pacific West Conference Freshman of the Year award, Hawai‘i Hilo sophomore OF Keoni Manago (Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt - right) has been chosen the 2009 PacWest Player of the Year.

The award was announced on Tuesday, May 5, by the PacWest Conference Information Office in Queen Creek, AZ, and was voted upon by the head coaches of the Pacific West Conference.

Dixie State head coach Mike Littlewood, who led the Red Storm to the inaugural PacWest Baseball Championship this year, was named the PacWest Coach of the Year, while Dixie State senior hurler Tyson Bailey (Mesa, AZ/Westwood - left) was selected the PacWest Pitcher of the Year.

Hawai‘i Pacific freshman OF Blake Amaral (Hilo, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Keeau) was a triple-winner for the Sea Warriors. He was named the Newcomer of the Year and the Freshman of the Year, and also was selected to the All-PacWest First Team during his rookie campaign.

Amaral (right) currently ranks sixth in the PacWest in hitting, posting a .383 average in 45 games. He is 57 for 149 with 27 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs. He has driven in 39 base runners, posted a .592 slugging average, and produced a .440 on-base percentage.

Manago, who also was named All-PacWest First Team, presently is ranked second in the league in hitting with a .435 average. He is fifth in slugging percentage (.619), second in on-base average (.500), and third in total base hits (64). He leads the league in doubles with 15 and is tied for third in stolen bases with a dozen, going 12 for 12 this season.

As the top-votegetter among pitchers, Bailey was named First Team All-PacWest and the Pitcher of the Year for his outstanding season. So far in 2009 he has produced the best earned run average in the league (2.35) over 57.1 innings of action. He boasts a 6-1 record with 58 strikeouts - second in the league - and opponents have managed to hit just .213 against him.

Littlewood guided Dixie State to a 30-19 overall record and a 15-9 conference mark, giving the Red Storm the inaugural PacWest crown.

Seven Dixie State players were named All-PacWest First Team, including junior DH Drew Oldfield (Aurora, CO/Rangeview), junior reliever Todd Morlock (Magna, UT/Hillcrest) and senior SS Jimmy Dever (Tucson, AZ/Catalina Foothills).

Dever is hitting .367 this year, going 69 for 188 with 53 runs scored, 14 doubles, 10 homers and a .601 slugging average. He has driven in 50 runs as well.

Dever tops the PacWest in total bases (113), total plate appearances (213) and base hits, while he stands second in doubles, RBI and runs scored (53). He is tied for third in the PacWest in home runs.

Oldfield (left) owns the top slugging percentage in the league with a .780 mark and leads the PacWest in homers (17), RBI (59) and walks (31). He is hitting .348 this season and stands fifth in on-base percentage (.475).

Morlock leads the conference in appearances with 22 and stands second in saves with seven.

Three Dixie State players earned roster spots on the Second Team when senior 1B Alex Rosenhan (Highland, UT/Alta), along with junior outfielders Brett Adams (Sandy, UT/Alta) and Aaron Friend (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial), were honored.

A 2008 First Team selection, Adams (right) is hitting .337 in 49 starts this season for the Red Storm. He is 63 for 187 at the plate with 47 runs scored, eight homers, 14 doubles and 44 RBI. He also has walked 20 times and owns a .551 slugging average.

Adams ranks second in the PacWest in at-bats, doubles and total plate appearances (211). He is third in runs scored and RBI, fourth in base hits and total bases (103), and fifth in homers.

Rosenhan ranks fourth in runs batted in with 43 and stands seventh in batting with a .378 average. He is 56 for 148 in 47 starts, scoring 44 runs while driving in 43 others. He has doubled 12 times and knocked five balls out of the park. He boasts a .561 slugging rate, a .461 on-base average, and has been plunked 11 times (second in the league).

Friend is an enemy to opposing pitchers. He ranks second in the PacWest in base hits with 65 and leads the league in triples (5) and runs scored (55). This season Friend has batted .369 to rank eighth in the league, while his 12 stolen bases is tied for third most in the conference. His total of 176 at-bats currently ranks third in the conference as well.

In addition to Amaral earning First Team accolades, Hawai‘i Pacific produced seven other All-PacWest players giving the Sea Warriors a league-best eight.

Senior 1B Cheynne Hirota (Hilo, HI/Waiakea) and junior 2B Sean Winston (Richland, WA/Richland) claimed First Team awards for their outstanding seasons. Winston is hitting .280 with nine doubles and 25 walks, the latter landing him tied for fourth in the conference. He has scored 32 runs as well.

Hirota (left) is presently leading the PacWest in hitting with a 447 average. He has 59 hits in 132 at-bats with 19 walks, 37 runs scored, 12 doubles, three triples and two home runs. He owns a .629 slugging rate and a 535 on-base mark.

In addition to his stellar batting average leading the league, Hirota ranks fourth in slugging, first in on-base percentage and fifth in base hits.

Five Sea Warriors rolled on to the Second Team, including a pair of First Team choices from 2008 in senior reliever BA Garner (Federal Way, WA/Decatur) and senior DH Aaron Asher (Aiea, HI/Aiea).

Garner leads the PacWest in saves this year out of the bullpen, recording nine in 14 relief appearances. The HPU closer has posted a 2.49 earned run average in just over 21 innings of work.

Asher (right) is batting .338 with 33 runs scored, 45 base hits, 10 doubles, 10 home runs, three triples and 37 RBI. He is tied for third in the conference in home runs.

Also on the Second Team for the Sea Warriors are senior OF Jonah Hobson (Longview, WA/R.A. Long), and junior hurlers Caelan O'Meara (Windsor, CA/Santa Rosa) and Daniel Cox (Lakebay, WA/Peninsula).

O'Meara is ranked second in the conference in earned run average with a 3.90 mark. He also is second in batting average allowed (.238) and fifth in innings pitched (55.1). He is currently 6-2 on the season, tops the conference in strikeouts (59), and shares the lead in victories.

Cox is fourth in the conference in ERA (4.33) and owns a 5-3 record in 10 starts. He has 38 strikeouts in 52 innings of work.

Hawai‘i Hilo totaled four All-PacWest First Team selections. In addition to Manago, junior OF Ronel Trias (Mililani, HI/University - left) jumped from a Second Team selection in 2008 to the First Team this year.

He is currently 10^th in hitting in the PacWest, batting .361 with 41 runs scored, 24 walks, 20 RBI and five doubles.

Junior 3B Shane Kessel (Olympia, WA/North Thurston) and sophomore pitcher Kekoa Lee (Waipahu, HI/Moanalua) also earned First Team selections this year.

Kessel (right) is hitting .333 with 33 runs scored, 20 RBI, four triples, six doubles and a .479 slugging average. He is tied for second in the PacWest in triples this year.

Lee is ranked third in ERA (4.00) and fifth in batting average permitted (.287) so far in 2009. He owns a 5-3 record in nine starts, tossing two complete games while striking out 38.

Junior catcher Peter Rodgers (Olympia, WA/Capital) earned Second Team All-PacWest accolades with his stellar batting average and ability to get on base. He ranks fourth in hitting (.394), RBI (43) and on-base percentage (.488) in the league. The feared hitter has seven doubles, 22 walks and 10 stolen bases.

Grand Canyon totaled four All-PacWest selections, including three First Team choices and two repeat performers.

Senior 3B Matt Fox (Yuma, AZ/Kofa - left) returned as an All-PacWest First Team selection this year after hitting .352 in 50 starts. He is 57 for 162 at the plate and has scored 39 runs to go along with his 35 RBI. He ranks third in the league in slugging (.673), fourth in total plate appearances (192), third in HBP (8), second in home runs (13), and third in total bases (109).

Senior catcher Austin Stockfisch (Scottsdale, AZ/Desert Mountain) made the leap from the Second Team to the First Team this year for the Antelopes. He is batting .339 with 31 runs scored, 12 doubles, four homers, 19 walks and a .485 slugging percentage.

Freshman SS PJ Garcia (Phoenix, AZ/Thunderbird) was one of two rookies to make the All-PacWest First Team squad. Garcia is batting 333 with 28 runs scored and 26 walks.

Junior 2B Taylor McGregor (Peoria, AZ/Sunrise Mountain) earned Second Team accolades after hitting .253 with six doubles and 14 RBI.