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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The West Coast Conference announced its 2014 Baseball All-Academic First Team on Friday, and four Santa Clara Broncos have been recognized as part of the honors. Seniors Zach Looney, Casey Munoz, and D.J. Zapata made the WCC Baseball All-Academic First Team and senior Mac Hess was named an All-Academic Honorable Mention. Looney is making his third consecutive appearance on the first team — the maximum for a four-year player as student-athletes are eligible after their first season with a team — and one of only two WCC players with that distinction this season.
At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to his team.
Santa Clara's four seniors represent four different fields of study:
Mac Hess — Political Science
Zach Looney — Civil Engineering
Casey Munoz — Communications
D.J. Zapata — Mathematics
"These awards mean a lot to us. As much as we love winning ballgames, life skills development and academics will always be at the foundation of our program," head coach Dan O'Brien said. "In fact, we feel like those are at the foundation of our success between the lines as well. With the right balance, there's no reason why you can't dogpile and excel in the classroom at the same time. We did it this year, raising our team GPA to a 3.1 while making it to the postseason. At the end of the day, that makes those dogpiles even more special."
Hess served as Santa Clara's starting first baseman from late February until mid-April. He hit .295 with six doubles, 12 RBIs and eight runs scored in 29 appearances and 22 starts. The senior compiled an eight-game hitting streak from Feb. 28 to March 18 and recorded an RBI in three of his last five games with the Broncos.
Looney was a Santa Clara staple at second base in 2014, making 47 appearances overall and 44 starts. The senior finished second on the team with 24 walks and hit .211 with six doubles, one triple, one home run, 23 RBIs and 20 runs scored. In the field, he notched the most defensive assists with 118 and fielded the most double plays with 18 for the Broncos.
Munoz, also a 2014 West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection, appeared in all 56 games for the 2014 Broncos and made most of his 50 starts in left field. He hit .294 with a team-best 16 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 27 RBIs (t-2nd, Quinton Perry), 22 runs scored, 13 walks and six stolen bases. In West Coast Conference play, the senior led the team with a .343 batting average and 11 doubles.
Zapata took the mound as Santa Clara's opening night starter and was the Friday night starter all season. The senior made 16 starts and went 3-8 with a 4.20 ERA alongside two complete games, tallying 98.2 innings and striking out 50 batters against 19 walks. Zapata threw at least 6.2 innings in eight of his weekend starts and tossed six quality starts on the season.
2014 WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
|
Name |
School |
Class |
GPA |
Major |
|
Derek Atkinson |
San Francisco |
Jr. |
3.51 |
Finance |
|
David Bigelow |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
3.53 |
Accounting |
|
Abe Bobb |
San Francisco |
Gr. |
3.57 |
International Studies |
|
Christian Cecilio |
San Francisco |
Jr. |
3.58 |
Finance |
|
P.J. Conlon |
San Diego |
So. |
3.23 |
Undeclared |
|
Kyle Crawford |
Pacific |
Sr. |
3.49 |
Business |
|
Bob Cruikshank |
San Francisco |
Jr. |
3.40 |
Exercise Sports Science |
|
Mitchell Gunsolus |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
3.39 |
Business |
|
Joey Harris |
Gonzaga |
So. |
3.54 |
Business |
|
Brendan Hendriks |
San Francisco |
Jr. |
3.49 |
Business Administration |
|
Brandon Horth |
Loyola Marymount |
Jr. |
3.42 |
Entrepreneurship |
|
Chad Kjemhus |
Portland |
Sr. |
3.42 |
Marketing |
|
Erik Lockwood |
Pacific |
Sr. |
3.49 |
Business Administration |
|
Jackson Lockwood |
Portland |
So. |
3.46 |
Business |
|
Zachary Looney |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
3.40 |
Civil Engineering |
|
Karl Meyers |
Gonzaga |
Sr. |
3.46 |
Physical Education |
|
Casey Munoz |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
3.35 |
Communications |
|
Taylor Murphy |
Pacific |
Jr. |
3.25 |
Business Administration |
|
Brad Nease |
Saint Mary's |
Gr. |
3.46 |
MBA |
|
Dillon Robinson |
BYU |
Jr. |
3.54 |
Finance |
|
Kenny Smith |
Gonzaga |
Sr. |
3.61 |
Business Administration |
|
Chet Thompson |
Portland |
Sr. |
3.62 |
Mathematics |
|
Zack Turner |
San Francisco |
Sr. |
3.54 |
Business Administration |
|
Anthony Villa |
Saint Mary's |
So. |
3.51 |
Business Administration |
|
Daniel Zapata |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
3.36 |
Mathematics |
2014 WCC BASEBALL ALL-ACADEMIC HONORABLE MENTION
Gio Brusa, Pacific; Taylor Jones, Gonzaga; Cory LeBrun, Gonzaga; Cody Lenahan, Portland; Bret Lopez, BYU; Mackenzie Park-Hess, Santa Clara (Political Science); Logan West, San Francisco; Caleb Whalen, Portland; J.P. Yakel, Pacific