May 30, 2012
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-- Stephen Piscotty and Mark Appel were each named first team All-Pac-12, while Brian Ragira and Austin Wilson were named honorable mention. On Thursday, Alex Blandino and Eric Smith were also honorable mention picks, left off the original team due to a clarical error.
The Cardinal, the top seed in its own four-team regional starting on Friday at 1 and 6 p.m., went 38-16 during the regular season. It closed out the season by winning nine of 11.
Appel, who will face off against fourth-seeded Fresno State on Friday at 6 p.m., went 9-1 with a 2.37 ERA during the regular season. He enters the post-season as the Pac-12 leader in strikeouts with 116. Appel is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation's top player.
Piscotty hit .319 during the regular season with a the Pac-12's third-highest total in RBIs with 54. Piscotty has also been the team's weekend starter the last three weekends, going 5-2 overall with a 2.57 ERA. Piscotty was a first team selection as a sophomore and a honorable mention pick as a freshman. He has started every game in his career at either first, left, third base, pitcher or designated hitter and is a finalist for the Olerud Award, given to college baseball's top two-way player.
Both players are projected to be first round picks on June 4, during the first round of the MLB Draft starting at 4 p.m. on MLB Network.
Wilson and Ragira are honorable mention picks for the second-straight year. Wilson is hitting .290 with nine homers and 46 RBIs, while Ragira is batting .318 with 47 RBIs. Both have started every game in right and at first, respectively.
Smith is the team's leading hitter at .329 after 45 regular season starts at catcher. Blandino, the team's freshman third baseman is hitting .289 with 35 RBIs and seven homers.