DALLAS – Nine of the nation’s top players were named the
2012
National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America District Players
of the Year, the organization announced today, marking the 13th-straight
year it has bestowed the honor.
The 2012 NCBWA District Players of the Year are District I: 1B
Jeff Cammans (Rhode Island); District II: OF Travis Jankowski (Stony
Brook); District III: C Mike Zunino (Florida); District IV: DH Daniel
Kassouf (Appalachian State); District V: 1B Chris Serritella (Southern
Illinois); District VI: SP Nick Petree (Missouri State); District
VII: OF Raph Rhymes (LSU); District VIII: 1B Goose Kallunki (Utah
Valley); District IX: UT Marco Gonzales (Gonzaga).
A number of the previous NCBWA District Players of the Year have
been Dick Howser Trophy recipients, such as Mark Teixeira of Georgia
Tech, Mark Prior of USC, Khalil Greene of Clemson, Rickie Weeks
of Southern, Jered Weaver of Long Beach State, Alex Gordon of Nebraska,
Brad Lincoln of Houston, David Price of Vanderbilt, Buster Posey
of Florida State, Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State and Taylor
Jungmann of Texas.
Cammans led the Atlantic 10 in doubles, ranked third in RBI and
fourth in hits in 2012 on his way to also earning first-team All-New
England honors from the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association
(NEIBA). He paced the Rams with 58 RBI and notched 77 hits, 23 of
them two-base knocks, while stealing 20-of-27 bases on the season.
A second-team All-Atlantic 10 selection in both 2011 and 2012, helped
Rhode Island to a 33-25-1 record, a 16-8 conference mark and a third-place
finish in the A-10.
Jankowski has helped Stony Brook to its first-ever NCAA Super
Regional appearance, which it begins at No. 7 LSU on Friday, after
being named to the All-Coral Gables Regional team last week. The
Seawolves enter this weekend with the most wins (50) and best winning
percentage (.806) in the country. Jankowski earned America East
Player of the Year honors in 2012, as he holds a .417 batting average
that ranks seventh in the country. He also leads the nation in triples
(10), ranks second in runs (75), fourth in hits (101), sixth in
stolen bases (36), 11th in total bases (153) and 15th in on-base
percentage. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the supplemental
round of this week’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft,
being taken with the 44th overall pick. Jankowski also was named
a second-team Louisville Slugger All-American last week and was
the 2011 Cape Cod League MVP.
Zunino, a two-time All-American and one of three finalists for
the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top catcher, became the highest-drafted
player in Florida history when the Seattle Mariners took him third
overall in the MLB Draft on Monday. The Cape Coral, Fla., native
is currently hitting .316 and leads the Gators in doubles (27),
home runs (18), RBIs (60) and slugging percentage (.667). The All-SEC
first-team catcher ranks No. 2 nationally in doubles (44), No. 5
in home runs and sacrifice flies (9), No. 10 in total bases (154)
and No. 13 in slugging percentage (.667). The 2011 SEC Player of
the Year is a three-time NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament
team selection. He has helped the Gators to a 45-18 record and will
be making an appearance in the Gainesville Super Regional this weekend
against NC State.
Kassouf led Appalachian State to the Charlottesville Regional
championship game on Monday, where the Mountaineers fell to Oklahoma
and narrowly missed their first regional title in program history
despite breaking the school record with 41 wins. Kassouf ranked
10th in the nation in home runs (17), 11th in RBIs (66), 16th in
total bases (148) and 27th in slugging percentage (.635) while leading
the Southern Conference in RBIs and ranking second in the league
in home runs. He helped the Mountaineers to their first SoCon championship
in 25 years with a 21-9 record in league play. He was a semifinalist
for both the Dick Howser Trophy and was a first-team All-Southern
Conference selection by both the coaches and media. Kassouf broke
the 30-year-old ASU home run record with his 17th blast of the year
on May 19 after leading all NCAA divisions with 29 home runs in
2009 while playing for Belmont Abbey College.
Serritella, who led the Missouri Valley Conference in eight statistical
categories in 2012, was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in
the fourth round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday and became Southern
Illinois’ highest-drafted player since 2008. He put together one
of the best offensive seasons in Saluki history, earning third-team
All-America honors from Louisville Slugger and being named first-team
All-MVC. Serritella also was named to the MVC All-Tournament team
after propelling SIU into the MVC Tournament championship game,
where the Salukis fell to Creighton. He won the MVC batting title
with a .389 average that was the highest by an SIU player in 18
years and broke school records with 24 doubles and 156 total bases.
His 91 hits fell one knock shy of the school record and he ranks
third all-time in SIU history with 30 career homers and fifth with
a .367 career average. He led the Valley in runs (56), hits, doubles,
home runs (13), slugging percentage (.667), total bases and on-base
percentage (.461), and ranked seventh nationally in doubles, eighth
in total bases, 13th in slugging percentage and 21st in hits.
Petree, who last week was named the Louisville Slugger National
Player of the Year and is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy,
leads the nation with a 1.01 ERA and ranks 18th with 10 victories.
The Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, Petree helped
Missouri State earn its first NCAA Tournament bid in nine years
when the Bears competed in the Coral Gables Regional. He turned
in the nation’s longest scoreless inning streak this season, working
a school-record 38 1/3 consecutive shutout frames from April 6-May
17, and also 73 straight innings without allowing an earned run
from March 2-May 17. His 114 strikeouts rank 16th in the nation
and are third in MSU history, and Petree was the MVC Freshman of
the Year and a Freshman All-American by the NCBWA and Louisville
Slugger in 2011.
Rhymes, the 2012 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year,
is leading the nation in hitting with a .452 (99-for-219) batting
average. He has produced 11 doubles, four home runs and 52 RBI this
season. The Monroe, La., native has walked 22 times and struck out
only 12 times. He is No. 4 nationally in on-base percentage (.510),
No. 6 in hits (99) and is the 13th toughest to strike out. Rhymes
was a 30th round draft choice by the New York Yankees in the 2012
MLB Draft, after being in the 40th round last season by the Pittsburgh
Pirates. He has helped the Tigers to a 46-16 overall record this
season, the No. 7 national seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament and
a matchup with Stony Brook in the Baton Rouge Super Regional this
weekend.
Kallunki, the 2012 Great West Player of the Year, was the first
Wolverine in school history to receive first-team honors and the
program's third All-American in as many years. He led UVU to a 47-win
season and their third straight Great West Conference regular season
and tournament titles. The Orem, Utah, native leads all Division
I players with 86 RBI and is No. 2 in total bases (168), No. 3 in
slugging percentage (.734), No. 5 in home runs (18), No. 6 in batting
(.419) and No. 8 in hits (96) and on-base percentage (.491). The
27th round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2012 MLB Draft,
was a two-time National Player of the Week, and a finalist for the
Dick Howser Trophy.
Gonzales, a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the John
Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, was named to the Louisville
Slugger All-America third team after going 8-2 with a 1.55 ERA in
12 starts on the mound and hitting .325 with 29 RBIs, 10 doubles
and two homers. He was named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of
the Year after leading the league in ERA and finishing tied for
second in wins. Gonzales became the third Gonzaga hurler to earn
WCC Pitcher of the Year honors in the last four years and was named
the 2011 Co-Freshman and Co-Player of the Year in the WCC. He struck
out 92 hitters in 92 2/3 innings while walking 23 innings, helping
the Bulldogs to a 34-22 record and a third-place finish in the WCC.
Opponents hit only .201 against him and managed only 12 extra-base
hits.
The group is divided into areas as follows: District I-Maine,
Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania;
District II: Connecticut, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware,
District of Columbia; III: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama,
Florida; IV: Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Maryland; V: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin;
VI: Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota; VII: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana; VIII: Wyoming, Utah, Idaho,
New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Montana; District IX: California,
Oregon, Washington, Hawai'i, Arizona, Alaska.
2012 NCBWA DIVISION I DISTRICT PLAYERS OF THE YEAR |
Dist. |
Player |
Pos. |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
I |
Jeff Cammans |
1B |
Rhode Island |
Jr. |
Jamestown, R.I. |
Maine, Vermont,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania |
II |
Travis
Jankowski |
OF |
Stony Brook |
Jr. |
Lancaster, Pa. |
Connecticut,
West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, District
of Columbia |
III |
Mike Zunino |
C |
Florida |
Jr. |
Cape Coral, Fla. |
Kentucky,
Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida |
IV |
Daniel
Kassouf |
DH |
Appalchian State |
Sr. |
Lexington, N.C. |
Georgia,
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland |
V |
Chris
Serritella |
1B |
Southern Illinois |
Jr. |
Glenview, Ill. |
Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin |
VI |
Nick Petree |
P |
Missouri State |
So. |
Clinton, Mo. |
Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota |
VII |
Raph Rhymes
|
OF |
LSU |
Jr. |
Monroe, La. |
Texas, Arkansas,
Louisiana |
VIII |
Goose
Kallunki |
1B |
Utah Valley |
Sr. |
Orem, Utah |
Wyoming,
Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Montana |
IX |
Marco
Gonzales |
UT |
Gonzaga |
So. |
Fort Collins, Colo. |
California, Oregon, Washington, Hawai'i, Arizona,
Alaska
|
Complete
release with statistics (.pdf) |
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of
college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and
publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit
the association's official Web site, ncbwa.com.
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