DENVER - The American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings announced the 2017 NCAA Division I All-Region teams on Wednesday and two players from the WAC were honored.
NM State senior second baseman Brent Sakurai was named Second Team Midwest All-Region after being among the WAC leaders in a number of offensive categories. He hit .377 ont he year with 87 hits, 50 runs scored and a NCAA-leading nine triples. His 0.16 triples per game rank him second nationally.
Also earning honors was Grand Canyon junior outfielder Garrison Schwartz, who earned Second Team West All-Region honors. The 16th-round pick of the Atlanta Braves hit .303 on the year with 19 doubles, eight home runs and 49 RBIs. He was named 2017 WAC Player of the Year after hitting .384 win league play as the Lopes earned the regular-season title.
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 8,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth. The 74th annual ABCA Convention will be held Jan. 4-7, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.