Ryan Ortiz Named To All-Pac-10 Team; Three Named Honorable Mention
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – Oregon State sophomore catcher Ryan Ortiz has been named to the All-Pacific-10 Conference Team, league commissioner Tom Hansen announced Thursday. Additionally, senior outfielder Daniel Robertson, junior outfielder John Wallace and freshman closer Kevin Rhoderick were named All-Pac-10 honorable mention.
Voting for the 2008 All-Pac-10 team and postseason awards were done by the league’s coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Ortiz played in all 52 games, appearing mainly at catcher. He batted a team-leading .351 with 16 doubles and five home runs. Ortiz drove in 55 runs, which led OSU and was just one shy of tying him for 10th-most in an Oregon State single season. His 10-game hit streak from March 9-29 not only helped him earn Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week honors, but it was also Oregon State’s longest of the season.
Defensively, Ortiz maintained a .988 fielding percentage at both catcher and first base. As a catcher, he threw out 14 of the 40 stolen base attempts against him for a 35-percent clip.
Robertson played just one season for the Beavers, starting in 50 of the team’s 52 games, mostly in right field. He was second to Ortiz in batting average, finishing the year at .327 while leading Oregon State with 44 runs scored. His 64 hits ranked him second on the club and he finished with 12 doubles, a triple and two home runs.
Defensively, Robertson was strong in right, posting a .981 fielding percentage with four assists. He was involved in three double plays.
Wallace played in 46 games for Oregon State in 2008, batting .326 with 46 hits, five doubles, three triples and 20 RBI. A native of Reno, Nev., Wallace posted a .421 batting average while walking 18 times.
Primarily playing left, Wallace finished the 2008 season with a .988 fielding percentage.
Rhoderick held on to the closer spot from day one for Oregon State in 2008, and certainly impressed, going 0-1 with a 2.39 earned run average and 12 saves. The 12 saves are tied for third-best in an Oregon State single season and Rhoderick is already tied for second on the OSU career list.
The right-hander allowed opponents to hit just .131 against him in 2008; he did not allow a hit until his seventh appearance of the season. Rhoderick allowed multiple hits in a game just twice.
Ortiz and Rhoderick were recently named to the USA Baseball National Team Trials invitation list, scheduled to be held in the middle of June.
Brett Wallace was named the Pac-10’s Player of the Year, while his teammate Mike Leake was Pitcher of the Year. Washington State’s Paul Gran was named Defensive Player of the Year. Arizona State’s Jason Kipnis was named Newcomer of the Year while his head coach, Pat Murphy, earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors.
For more information on Oregon State baseball, visit www.osubeavers.com.
