Bleecker, Loomis Receive Top Conference Honors

All-NWC List

The All-Northwest Conference baseball team was announced on Monday, and Pacific Lutheran junior pitcher Robert Bleecker (Blaine, Wash. / Blaine HS) received Pitcher of the Year honors.

PLU head coach Geoff Loomis also was an award winner, sharing NWC Coach of the Year recognition with Marty Hunter from George Fox after the two coaches led their teams to 27-5 records and a share of the conference co-championship.

Bleecker and junior teammate Trey Watt (Tualatin, Ore. / Tualatin HS) both earned first team all-conference pitcher honors for the second straight season. Bleecker finished the season with a 9-1 record and a 4.59 earned run average, while Watt was 6-2 overall with a 4.12 earned run average and 86 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings. Their battery mate, senior catcher Brandon Sales (Snoqualmie, Wash. / Mount Si HS), repeated the first team honors he received in 2007 after hitting .360 with 14 doubles and 32 runs batted in.

PLU players earning All-Northwest Conference first team honors for the first time were junior third baseman Ben Shively (Everett, Wash. / Archbishop Murphy HS), junior right fielder Josh Takayoshi (Puyallup, Wash. / Emerald Ridge HS, Wenatchee Valley CC) and senior designated hitter Kris Hansen (University Place, Wash. / Curtis HS). Shively led the Lutes in batting average at .440, hit six homers, and also established a new Lutes single-season record with 51 runs batted in despite hitting in the No. 9 spot in the lineup. Takayoshi finished with a .403 average, led the Lutes with 50 runs and 13 steals from the leadoff role, and also finished second on the squad with 44 RBI. Hansen ended up with a .396 batting average, six homers and eight stolen bases. Takayoshi was a second team all-conference outfielder last year and Hansen was an honorable mention designated hitter pick in 2007.

Pacific Lutheran was also well represented on the second team, including three of the four infield spots. Senior first baseman Jordan Post (Beaverton, Ore. / Southridge HS), the PLU career leader in RBI (117) and walks (103), hit .417 with six homers and 39 runs batted in, senior second baseman Matt Akridge (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) compiled a .373 average with two homers and 22 RBI, and shortstop Sammy Davis (Renton, Wash. / Liberty HS) hit .301 with 30 runs batted in. Post earned first team honors at first base in 2007. Sophomore center fielder Ryan Aratani (Issaquah, Wash. / Issaquah HS), a first team outfielder last year, was a second team choice after hitting .379 with three homers and 38 runs batted in. Also named to the second team was freshman relief pitcher Ryan Frost (Olympia, Wash. / Tumwater HS), who finished with a 3-0 record and one save in nine relief appearances.

Lutes named to the honorable mention list were senior outfielder Geoff Gabler (Centralia, Wash. / Centralia HS), a first team pick last year who led the Lutes with seven homers this year, and sophomore pitcher Scott Wall (Yakima, Wash. / La Salle HS), who compiled a 5-2 record while leading the team with three complete-game shutouts.

Pacific Lutheran finished the 2009 season with a 31-9 record, the second most wins in a season in program history, and the conference co-championship. Despite its high regional and national rankings, PLU was not picked by the national selection committee to participate in the NCAA Division III national tournament.

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