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Trapasso is WAC coach of the year

MESA, Ariz. » Hawaii’s Mike Trapasso was named the Western Athletic Conference coach of the year and two Rainbows were named first-team all-conference at the annual WAC baseball banquet last night.

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Player of the year: Dusty Robinson, Jr., Fresno State
Pitcher of the year: Greg Gonzalez, Sr., Fresno State
Freshman of the year: Aaron Judge, Fr., Fresno State
Coach of the year: Mike Trapasso, Hawaii

FIRST TEAM
OF–Aaron Judge, Fr., FSU; Dusty Robinson, Jr., FSU; Kyle Roliard, Jr., LaTech, Tanner Waite, Jr., NMSU
1B–Jordan Ribera, Sr., FSU; Brock Stassi, Sr., Nevada; Danny Stienstra, Sr., SJSU
2B–Kolten Wong, Jr., UH
3B–Danny Muno, Sr., FSU
SS–Garrett Weber, Sr., FSU
C–Austin Wynns, So., FSU
DH–Zack Swasey, Jr., UH
SP–Greg Gonzalez, Sr., FSU; Mike Jefferson, Jr., LaTech; Roberto Padilla, Jr., SJSU
RP–Scott Coffman, Jr., NMSU

Named to the second team from UH were senior first baseman Jeff Van Doornum and junior relief pitcher Lenny Linsky

Trapasso won the award for the third time in his 10 years as head coach. He guided the Rainbows to a 32-23 overall record and 17-7 mark in league play, helping Hawaii earn a share of the regular-season WAC title for the first time since 1992.

"Something like this is a team award because a coach doesn’t get an award like this unless your team is full of great kids with great character that go out and perform well," Trapasso said. "It also shows that we’re the co-champs with Fresno for the regular season and we only put two guys on the first team, so that shows we did this as a team and it’s been a team effort."

Juniors Kolten Wong and Zack Swasey were named to the first team, while senior Jeff Van Doornum and junior Lenny Linsky earned second-team honors.

Wong, a second baseman after starting his career as an outfielder, was named to the first team for the third time in as many years. He finished the season hitting .375 with six homers, 49 RBIs and a WAC-best 22 stolen bases.

He was the only player to average more than a walk per league game, taking 26 free passes in 24 WAC games.

"He didn’t have as gaudy numbers as some of the other guys because he wasn’t pitched to," Trapasso said. "He wasn’t given an opportunity to put up those kinds of numbers and that in itself is a sign of respect and shows what a great player Kolten is."

Swasey, in his first season with the Rainbows, made the first team as a designated hitter. He hit .320 with 12 doubles, 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

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