Oregon baseball, which tied a school record this season with with 45 wins, earned a national seed for the second-straight year. The Ducks were helped by four players who separated themselves with on field production, earning Pac-12 All-Conference first team honors.
J.J. Altobelli — Altobelli has garnered the admiration of his entire team and coaching staff by being the ultimate professional during his four years with Oregon. Oregon coach George Horton has repeatedly praised the leader, saying he focuses just as hard in practice and against lesser opponents as he does in the playoffs and that he is an ideal role model for young players.
Altobelli hit .290 this season with 24 RBI and eight stolen bases, but he does most of his damage at shortstop. Altobelli finished the year with a .982 fielding percentage, highest among Pac-12 shortstops.
Ryon Healy – The success Oregon saw this season would have been impossible without the bat of Healy. He continually put the team on his back and was often times the sole offense for the Ducks.
Healy’s 10 home runs led the conference, he drove in 50 runs, had a .548 slugging percentage, hit 17 doubles, and was second in the conference with 79 hits.
Last week when reporters asked JJ Altobelli and Jake Reed who they thought was the Pac-12 MVP, both said Healy.
Jimmie Sherfy – Simply put, Sherfy was a sure thing this season. If the Ducks led headed to the ninth, they could confidently turn the ball over to their electric closer. Finishing the year with a 1.67 ERA, Sherfy was a vital part of the Ducks success. His 20 saves are a school record and rank second in the country.
He also is on the watch list for numerous awards, including the Golden Spikes Award given to the top amateur baseball player in the nation, the Stopper of the Year award, and the Dick Howser Trophy given to the top college baseball player.
Tommy Thorpe – Headed into the season, Thorpe was considered to have underwhelming stuff compared to to the other weekend starters. That sentiment might still hold true, but he has been effective. Since moving to the Friday starting spot, he has gone 6-1 with a 1.10 ERA. He has a 2.22 ERA on the season and leads the team in strikeouts with 83.
As the Ducks head into the post season, they will need to play solid team ball. That being said, if these four perform to expectations, Oregon will be a tough out.