WAC Baseball Postseason Honors Announced
MESA, Ariz. – The Western Athletic Conference has announced its All-WAC baseball teams and major awards as selected by the league's ten head coaches. Sam Houston's Carlos Contreras was named WAC Player of the Year while Grand Canyon's Daniel Avitia was named both WAC Pitcher of the Year and WAC Freshman of the Year. California Baptist's Harrison Spohn was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year and Grand Canyon's Andy Stankiewicz repeated as WAC Coach of the Year.
Contreras, a junior outfielder from El Paso, Texas, led the WAC with a .447 batting average in league play and helped the Bearkats win the Southwest Division. Also boasting WAC-bests in on base percentage (.520) and slugging percentage (.854), he was also the league leader in hits (55), RBIs (61) and triples (4).
Avitia, a freshman right-hander from Phoenix, made the most of his first year at GCU, striking out 80 WAC batters in 60.1 innings pitched. A 19th-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2021, he averaged 11.93 strikeouts per game against WAC competition and held opposing hitters to just a .196 batting average.
Spohn, a senior infielder from Upland, Calif., was voted as the top defensive player in the league after boasting a .979 fielding percentage in the infield. Teaming up for 14 double plays in league play, he led the WAC in assists with 88 and also recorded 53 putouts in 144 total chances.
Stankiewicz earns his fourth WAC Coach of the Year award in his 11th season leading the GCU baseball program. He previously won the award in 2017, 2018 and 2021 following regular season titles. Prior to taking over at Grand Canyon before the 2012 season, he worked as a minor league field coordinator for the Seattle Mariners, an assistant coach at Arizona State and manager of the Staten Island Yankees. A 12th-round pick of the New York Yankees in 1986 following a standout career at Pepperdine, he played in part of seven MLB seasons for the Yankees, Houston Astros, Montreal Expos and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Player of the Year: Carlos Contreras, Jr., OF, Sam Houston
Pitcher of the Year: Daniel Avitia, Fr., RHP, Grand Canyon
Defensive Player of the Year: Harrison Spohn, Sr., 2B, California Baptist
Freshman of the Year: Daniel Avitia, RHP, Grand Canyon
Coach of the Year: Andy Stankiewicz, Grand Canyon
2022 First Team All-WAC
Catcher: David Martin, So., California Baptist
First Base: Logan Gallina, So., NM State
Second Base: Harrison Spohn, Sr., California Baptist
Third Base: Juan Colato, R-Sr., Grand Canyon
Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, So., Grand Canyon
Outfield: Tayler Aguilar, Jr., Grand Canyon
Outfield: Chad Castillo, Jr., California Baptist
Outfield: Carlos Contreras, Jr., Sam Houston
DH/Utility: Parker Schmidt, So., Dixie State
At-Large: Tyler Wilson, So., C, Grand Canyon
Starting Pitcher: Daniel Avitia, Fr., Grand Canyon
Starting Pitcher: Kevin Stevens, R-Sr, UT Rio Grande Valley
Relief Pitcher: Jack Dallas, Sr., Lamar
At-Large: Vince Reilly, Jr., RHP, Grand Canyon
2022 Second Team All-WAC
Catcher: Kaden Hollow, So., Dixie State
First Base: Justin Wishkoski, So., Sam Houston
Second Base: Kemuel Thomas-Rivera, Gr., Tarleton
Third Base: Mitchel Simon, So., California Baptist
Shortstop: Bash Randle, So., Abilene Christian
Outfield: Brett Cain, Gr., UT Rio Grande Valley
Outfield: Matthew McDonald, Sr., Lamar
Outfield: Brandon Pimentel, Jr., UT Rio Grande Valley
DH/Utility: Russell Stevenson, Sr., California Baptist
At-Large: London Green, Sr., OF, Tarleton
Starting Pitcher: CJ Culpepper, So., California Baptist
Starting Pitcher: Adam Wheaton, Sr., Lamar
Relief Pitcher: Lance Lusk, Sr., Sam Houston
At-Large: Nick Hull, Gr., RHP, Grand Canyon
2022 All-Defensive Team
Kirkland Banks, Jr., IF, Lamar
Logan Gallina, So., 1B, NM State
London Green, Sr., OF, Tarleton
Walker Janek, Fr., UT, Sam Houston
Chase Kemp, Sr., IF, Lamar
Isaac Lopez, R-Fr., IF, UT Rio Grande Valley
Bash Randle, So., SS, Abilene Christian
Harrison Spohn, Sr., IF, California Baptist
Jacob Wilson, So., SS, Grand Canyon
Cade Verdusco, So., OF, Grand Canyon