June 5, 2013
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego State relief pitcher Bubba Derby has been named to the 2013 Louisville Slugger's Freshmen All-American Baseball Team. He becomes the 11th Aztec in the history of the program to receive the honor and the third in the past three seasons.
Derby, a right-hander from Monrovia, Calif. (LaSalle HS), served as the Aztecs' closer in his first season of collegiate ball compiling a record of 4-3 with 10 saves and a 3.79 earned run average. He struck out 44 batters over his 35.2 innings of work while walking 14.
He was named to the all-Mountain west second team after recoding six saves with a 2-2 record and a 3.32 earned run average in league contests. He led the conference in saves both overall and in league play. His 10 saves in 2013 ranks as the sixth-most ever in a season by an Aztec and already are the 11th-most on the SDU career list.
Of his 24 appearances during the season, 23 came in a relief role. His lone start came in the contest against UNLV on May 25 in an elimination game at the Mountain West Tournament. In that contest he tossed five innings allowing two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts to notch his fourth win of the year. San Diego State went on to win the conference tournament and play at the NCAA Regional in Los Angeles.
The Aztecs' final record of 31-31 was its best in the past four seasons. Season highlights included winning the conference tournament for the first time since 2000, placing six players on the all-tourney team and having six athletes earn all-Mountain West honors.