COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of New Mexico baseball team had five players recognized as All-Mountain West Conference players, including Carl Stajduhar, who was named 2016 Tony Gwynn Player of the Year.
Stajduhar was also recognized as a first-teamer alongside teammates Chris DeVito, Jared Holley and Tyler Stevens. Centerfielder and pitcher Luis Gonzalez was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team.
Stajduhar becomes the sixth player in program history to be honored as Player of the Year by the Mountain West, and third since 2012. The conference honors were based off league stats only, where Stajduhar was the most dominant player in the league. He was the conference triple crown winner, leading the MW in league play with a .421 batting average, 39 RBI and nine home runs. He was also the MW’s top slugger with a .746 slugging percentage.
On the first team, DeVito was honored for his stellar season. The catcher/designated hitter slugged .670 in conference action, ranking second in the MW. He also had the third-most RBI in the league at 32 with eight home runs, one short of the league-lead. Overall, he has totaled 141 bases this year, ranking 14th in the nation.
Holley caps off a stellar career at New Mexico by earning his first all-conference honors. Holley led the MW with 38 runs scored in league play while also leading the conference with a .492 on-base percentage. His 21 total doubles ranks in the national top-20, with 18 coming in conference play, also leading the MW.
Stevens is the Lobos’ lone starting pitcher honored after a tremendous season as the Lobos’ consistent Saturday starter. Stevens’ consistency led him to 14 total starts this season, ranking in the national top-25. Over 10 conference starts, Stevens holds an ERA of 3.46. He struck out 45 MW batters, ranking fourth in the conference.
Wrapping up the honors was sophomore Gonzalez on the second team. During league play, Gonzalez ranked third overall in both hits at 48 and runs scored at 36. He led the MW in league walks at 22 and reached base at a .452 clip. His four home runs in league play also ranked in the top-five.
The Lobos are getting set to begin the Mountain West Conference Tournament with their second-round game Thursday at 7 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Field.
Stajduhar Earns MW Player of the Year; Five Players Named All-MW
