Westmont’s Russell Harmening is the Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. (Presidio Sports Photo)
The 2015 All-Golden State Athletic Conference Baseball Team has been released and it includes eight members of the Westmont. In addition, junior right-hander Russell Harmening of Oceanside has repeated as the GSAC Pitcher of the Year and junior first baseman Alex Bush of Menifee has been named the GSAC Player of the Year.
Joining Bush and Harmening on the All-GSAC team are senior centerfielder Will Barring of Tustin; freshman second baseman Michael Stefanic of Boise, Idaho; senior right field Blake Matthias of Las Vegas, Nevada; sophomore designated hitter Michael Pollex of Henderson, Nevada; junior catcher Ryan Crowe of Ladera Ranch and sophomore starting right-handed Daniel Butler on Lone Tree, Colorado.
Eight All-GSAC award recipients is the most Westmont has recorded in a single season. The previous high was four during 1987 – the conference’s inaugural year.
Bush leads the conference in both batting average (.406) and in hits (73) and set a school record for runs scored with 51. He has displayed not only consistency, but also power with 10 doubles, four triples and eight home runs.
Bush has also served as an occasional pitcher for the Warriors. In seven appearances (six starts) he has a record of 3-1 with an ERA of 1.61. In conference play, he is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
Russell Harmening has pitched 102 innings for the Warriors making 14 starts. He has put together a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 1.41. Harmening has served up 87 strikeouts this season while issuing just 16 walks. Opposing line-ups have averaged just .159 against him. Harmening holds the school record for career wins at 28.
Butler has a record of 9-0 on the season and has earned a win in each of his final eight starts during the regular season. He has acquired an ERA of 2.25 while holding opponents to a .239 batting average against. Butler has struck out 47 and walked 19.
Barring is second in the conference in batting average at .397. He has produced 69 hits (also second in the GSAC) including 18 doubles, one triple and eight RBIs. On March 23, Barring was selected as the GSAC Player of the Week.
Stefanic has made quite an impression in his freshman year. Since taking over as the Warriors’ everyday second baseman, he has recorded 57 hits and created a .365 batting average – fifth best in the GSAC. He has 12 RBIs to his credits and has struck out just five times in his 176 plate appearances.
Blake Matthias leads the Warriors in home runs with 10 and in RBIs with 55. He has recorded a batting average of .365 and a slugging percentage of .644, both of which rank fourth in the GSAC.
Pollex brings a .326 batting average to the Warriors’ lineup and a .463 slugging percentage. His has recorded 31 hits including eight doubles a triple and a home run. He has also driving in 20 RBIs.
Crowe has made 28 starts for the Warriors behind the plate this season and has posted a .231 batting average. He has 21 hits and 14 RBIs. Against 20 stolen base attempts, Crowe has caught nine runners attempting to pilfer a base.
The Warriors begin postseason play on Thursday in the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship. Westmont will play the first game in the four-team, double-elimination affair; taking on Concordia at 9:00 a.m.
