Purtell sole Rainbow on All-WAC baseball team
Advertiser Staff
Senior Matthew Purtell was the only University of Hawai'i player named to the All-Western Athletic Conference baseball first team, which was announced yesterday by the league.
Advertiser library photo • May 15, 2001
Purtell, a walk-on two seasons ago from Sonoma, Calif., was listed as the utility player. He played shortstop, second base, the outfield and designated hitter for the Rainbows. He batted .304 and led the team with 25 steals, and was second in runs scored with 44.
Hawai'i's Matthew Purtell went from walk-on two seasons ago to an All-Western Athletic Conference selection.
Freshman Cortland Wilson, of Sandy, Utah, was named to the second-team as designated hitter.
Hawai'i-Hilo outfielder Ryan Petersen, who missed the latter part of the season with a wrist injury, was named to the second team.
UH junior Gregg Omori, who was named WAC Player of the Week for his weekend exploits against UH-Hilo, was not chosen to either team. Omori, who was 10-for-14 with six doubles, five runs and 11 RBIs against the Vulcans, led the Rainbows in seven offensive categories: batting average (.362), hits (84), doubles (25), home runs (11), RBIs (62), total bases (142) and slugging percentage (.620).
The first-team designated hitter was Nevada's Bo Bryant, who batted .339 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs. Wilson batted .306 with one home run and 23 RBIs. Wilson started in 33 of the 40 games he played, but started in only one of the last eight.
Also left off the all-WAC teams was UH pitcher Jeff Coleman (8-6, 3.75 ERA). Selected ahead of him was Nevada's Mateo Miramontes, who was 10-3, but with a 5.13 ERA.
Fresno State shortstop Josh Labandeira was named Player of the Year, while Rice's Kenny Baugh was named Pitcher of the Year. Labandeira batted .366 with 14 home runs and 67 RBIs. Baugh was 12-2 with a 1.82 ERA for the WAC champions.
Freshman of the Year was Rice outfielder Austin Davis, who was second on his team with a .344 batting average. He also scored 64 runs.
Fresno State's Bob Bennett was named Coach of the Year.
Conference coaches made the selections.
MORE HONORS
• King of the hill: Nebraska's Shane Komine (Kalani '98) was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Komine was 12-1 with a 3.63 ERA and led the conference with 127 strikeouts.
Last year, Komine was named the Big 12's Player of the Year. The junior is expected to be taken in next month's amateur draft.
