May 22, 2006

LAS VEGAS -

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

The Mountain West Conference announced its 2006 MWC Baseball All-Conference Team and postseason awards today as selected by the league's head coaches. Utah shortstop Ryan Khoury earned Player of the Year honors, while New Mexico left-hander Danny Ray Herrera and TCU right-hander Jake Arrieta shared Pitcher of the Year honors. TCU skipper Jim Schlossnagle was selected as Coach of the Year.

Regular-season champion TCU headlined this year's all-conference squad with seven selections, while San Diego State and New Mexico had five selections each. BYU and Utah had four student-athletes on the all-conference team, while UNLV had two honorees. This year's team was made up of six seniors, 11 juniors, eight sophomores and two freshmen.

Khoury, a 5-10, 175-pound senior shortstop from West Jordan, Utah, led the MWC in batting average (.432), on-base percentage (.541), hits (92) and total bases (152), and was second in the league in slugging percentage (.714), runs scored (67) and walks (38). He also ranked in the top-five in doubles (17), home runs (13) and stolen bases (16). In conference games, Khoury ranked in the top 10 in on-base percentage (.486), runs scored (28) and walks (16). Khoury broke the all-time MWC single-season record for batting average and on-base percentage. He also broke the Utah school record for hits in a career earlier this season. Khoury currently has 285 career hits.

Herrera, a 5-7, 145-pound junior from Odessa, Texas, posted a 4-0 record in MWC games with an ERA of 2.65 and 44 strikeouts. He held MWC opponents to a .256 batting average this season in seven appearances. Overall, he posted a 9-0 record with an ERA of 2.30 and 97 strikeouts in a MWC high 121.1 innings pitched.

Arrieta, a 6-4, 225-pound sophomore from Plano, Texas, posted a MWC-best 12 wins, and also led the MWC in ERA (2.07), opposing batting average (.220) and batters struck out looking (36). In conference games, he led the MWC in ERA (1.12) and tied for the lead in wins (six), while striking out 45 batters in 48.0 innings of work. Arrieta set new MWC single-season records (all games) in ERA and opposing batting average. He also set a new MWC single-season record for ERA in conference games (1.12).

Schlossnagle, in his third season with TCU, led the Horned Frogs to the regular-season title in their first season competing in the MWC with a 17-5 record, as well as a No. 1 seed in this year's MWC Championship. Schlossnagle has an overall record of 115-67 with TCU and a career record of 192-114.

Second Team

Player of the Year - Ryan Khoury, Utah
Co-Pitchers of the Year - Danny Ray Herrera, New Mexico; Jake Arrieta, TCU
Coach of the Year - Jim Schlossnagle, TCU

* 2005 All-MWC Selection