May 18, 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas - Six San Diego State baseball players were named to the 2009 all-Mountain West Conference team at the league's pre-tournament dinner Monday evening in Fort Worth, Texas. That number included three first-team selections and three second-team honorees as well as the MWC's Pitcher of the Year.

Among the first-team all-conference members were SDSU outfielder Cory Vaughn, starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg and reliever Addison Reed. Selected for second team honors were utility/DH Erik Castro, first baseman Brandon Meredith and pitcher Tyler Lavigne. In addition, Strasburg was named the Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season after a stellar 2009 campaign.

Vaughn hit .365 in 23 conference contests with five doubles, three triples, four home runs and 22 runs batted in. He finished among the top 10 in the final league game stats in hits, total bases, triples and RBI.

Reed finished conference play with six saves and is the national leader in that category this week with a total of 17. In his nine appearances in league action the Aztec sophomore right-hander allowed one unearned run on two hits with four walks (two intentional) and 14 strikeouts. MWC opponents hit just .065 against him.

A former conference Freshman of the Year, Strasburg was a repeat winner of the first-team honors and Pitcher of the Year award he received in last season. The junior right-hander set Mountain West Conference records for season and career strikeouts in 2009 as well as career earned run average. He finished league play with a record of 7-0 and a 1.50 earned run average. He struck out 111 and walked 10 in his eight conference starts.

Erik Castro compiled a .400 average in 24 MWC contests as he led the Aztecs with eight doubles, seven home runs, 24 runs scored, 18 walks and 29 runs batted in. He was among the top 10 in the final league-game stats in 10 offensive categories including RBI (1st), home runs (3rd) and on-base percentage (.505 - 3rd).

Lavigne made six starts and one relief appearance in 2009, finishing with a record of 2-1 and a 4.19 earned run average. Over his 38.2 innings of work he struck out 41 and walked only 11. His strikeout total was second-best in the conference behind teammate Stephen Strasburg and his .218 opponent batting average ranked third among MWC pitchers as well.

Meredith batted .276 in league play and scored 20 runs over 24 contests. He recorded five doubles and a home run with 12 RBI. In the field he committed just one error at first base for a .994 fielding percentage.

San Diego State, the fourth seed, opens play at the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Tuesday, May 19, when it meets fifth-seeded UNLV at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) at TCU's Lupton Stadium in Forth Worth.