STANFORD, Calif. – Seniors Brendan Beck and Zach Grech compiled All-Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association and All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, while sophomore Brock Jones earned All-Region accolades according to the ABCA on Wednesday.
Beck and Grech each earned a spot on the NCBWA All-America second team, while also earning West-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region first team selections. Jones landed on the All-Region second team.
ABCA/Rawlings All-Region first team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors. The ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I All-American teams will be announced on Saturday, June 19.
Beck, the 2021 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, earned second-team All-America honors according to Collegiate Baseball earlier this year. Stanford's ace, Beck has pitched to a 9-1 record and a 2.96 ERA over 15 appearances and 14 starts this year. The right-hander, who owns the third-best ERA in the Pac-12, has struck out a Pac-12 best 128 compared to just 23 walks over 100 1/3 innings of work. His 5.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks third in the Pac-12, while his 11.48 strikeouts per nine innings are also third. Beck's 128 strikeouts are the most for a Cardinal in a single season since Mark Appel in 2013 (130). Further establishing himself among the elite pitchers in the nation, Beck's .95 WHIP leads the conference and ranks 22nd nationally. As consistent as any pitcher this year, Beck has turned in a quality start in 12 of 14 starts, including registering a complete game in two of his last four turns.
Grech, the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is also a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award. The right-hander currently leads the Pac-12 and ranks fourth in the nation in saves with 13. An All-Pac-12 first team selection, Grech has made a team-best 30 appearances and has factored into the decisions in 23 of the 30 – compiling a 5-5 record and the 13 saves. Grech has limited opponents to a .220 average against while pitching 48 1/3 innings for the Cardinal this season.
Jones was also an All-Pac-12 first team selection and has reached safely in all but four games this year while hitting .302 with 16 home runs to rank fourth in the Pac-12. The native of Fresno, Calif. owns a team-high 54 RBIs, 53 runs scored and a .452 on-base percentage. Jones has amassed 28 extra-base hits, including 11 doubles and a triple, while compiling a .620 slugging percentage to rank seventh in the Pac-12. Stanford's starting centerfielder most recently connected for three home runs, including a grand slam, against Texas Tech on June 12 to total six RBIs and help send Stanford to the College World Series.
Stanford is currently preparing to make its 17th appearance in the College World Series. The Cardinal opens play in Omaha against NC State on Saturday at 11 a.m. PT.
