STANFORD, Calif. – David Esquer was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year and nine student-athletes were named all-conference, as announced Thursday by the conference.
"I'm honored by this award, but it's really a representation of the hard work put in by our entire coaching staff," said Esquer. "In no way, to me, is this an individual honor. The amount of effort our assistant coaches have put into this team and preparing our student-athletes for what's ahead of them is immeasurable, and I share this award with them, 100 percent."
Esquer, the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball, along with assistant coaches Thomas Eager, Tommy Nicholson and Jack Marder, is in his first season at Stanford after spending the previous 18 in charge of California. The staff led the Cardinal (44-10, 22-8 Pac-12) to its first conference championship since 2004 with a dramatic, 6-5 win at Washington on Saturday.
A former walk-on and starting shortstop on the 1987 national championship-winning team, Esquer replaced Mark Marquess last summer as Stanford's first new head coach in 42 seasons.
Six Cardinal were named all-conference – junior right-handed pitcher Tristan Beck, junior left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic, junior shortstop Nico Hoerner, sophomore infielder Andrew Daschbach, sophomore right-handed pitcher Jack Little and freshman infielder Tim Tawa.
Beck, Stanford's Friday night starter, finished the regular season 8-4 with a 2.99 ERA in a team-high 84.1 innings. A two-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week in 2018, it is Beck's second all-conference nod after earning honors as a freshman in 2016.
Bubic earned his second straight all-conference nod after an honorable mention in 2017. He ranks third in the Pac-12 with 91 strikeouts, carrying a 2.73 ERA and .204 opposing batting average into the postseason.
Hoerner, who had the game-winning RBI in Stanford's Pac-12-clinching win on Saturday, leads the team in hits (75), multi-hit games (22), doubles (16) and stolen bases (14) while ranking second in runs (43) and total bases (107). It is his second consecutive all-conference nod.
Daschbach emerged in the heart of Stanford's batting order as one of the top power threats in the conference, leading the team in home runs (16), RBI (61) and total bases (116). Daschbach's 16 home runs are the most of any Cardinal since 2004 (Sean Ratliff – 22).
Little enjoyed a breakout season as one of the elite closers in the nation. Little leads the Pac-12 with 15 saves, carrying a 0.66 ERA and .170 batting average against in 41.0 innings entering the postseason. Little has 54 strikeouts versus just seven walks.
Tawa, who started 21 games in center field before settling into his role at third base, is batting .302 with seven home runs and 39 RBI, ranking third on the team with a .502 slugging percentage. Tawa made a name for himself in March with a three-run, walk-off home run in a 3-2 win against Michigan (March 2).
Stanford added three honorable mentions – senior infielder Beau Branton, sophomore outfielder Kyle Stowers and freshman right-handed pitcher Brendan Beck.
Branton leads the team with a .379 batting average and .458 on-base percentage, having started 40 games at second base.
Stowers has started all 54 games in the outfield, ranking second on the team in home runs (10), RBI (42) and slugging percentage (.545).
Brendan Beck, the younger brother of Tristan Beck, finished the regular season 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA in 59.0 innings, primarily serving as Stanford's midweek starter.
