May 22, 2007
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - A total of six San Diego State players, including one first-team selection and the co-Freshman of the Year, were named to the 2007 all-Mountain West Conference baseball team. The announcement of the squad, as selected by the league's head coaches, was announced Tuesday evening at the pre-tournament banquet for this week's MWC championship event.
Sophomore third baseman Nick Romero was named to the all-conference first team while teammates Frank LoNigro (catcher), Troy Hanzawa (shortstop), Brandon Glover (outfield), Lance Sewell (pitcher) and Stephen Strasburg (relief pitcher) all earned second-team recognition. In addition, Strasburg was named the MWC co-Freshman of the Year.
Romero (Chula Vista, Calif., Eastlake HS), who earned second-team honors as a freshman in 2006, batted .365 in league play with 20 runs scored and 25 RBI in 24 contests. He finished among the top 10 in five offensive categories in conference game statistics.
Strasburg, a 6-5, 215-pound, San Diego, Calif., native (West Hills HS), posted an MWC freshman-high seven saves on the season, which ties the all-time single-season conference mark for saves by a freshman. His overall stats included 46 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.50 in 36.0 innings pitched and a .136 batting average by opponents. In conference games, he compiled a 2.04 earned run average and he was the lone freshman to earn all-MWC honors in 2007.
LoNigro hit .330 in conference games and led the league with seven home runs in MWC contests. Hanzawa, who hit .280 with 23 runs scored, was a defensive standout at shortstop, committing only two errors in 24 conference games for a .980 fielding percentage.
Glover, who has started every game this season, had a .353 average in league play and finished among the top seven in MWC-game stats in hits, doubles, triples and sacrifice flies. Sewell led the conference in opponent batting average (.228) and was second with a 3.28 overall ERA.
Regular-season champion TCU led the all-conference squad with 11 selections, while San Diego State had six honorees, and BYU and New Mexico three student-athletes apiece. Utah had two honorees while Air Force and UNLV each had one selection. This year's team was made up of 12 juniors, 10 seniors, four sophomores and one freshman.
San Diego State opens play at the 2007 Mountain West Conference Tournament on Wednesday, May 23, when it takes on New Mexico at 3:00 p.m. (PDT). That game will be televised live on The Mtn and may also heard on the Internet at www.GoAztecs.com.