IRVINE, Calif. – Chaminade University outfielder
Ryan Ruch (San Diego/Patrick Henry) and first baseman
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS) on Tuesday were named to the All-Pacific West Conference Teams in voting conducted by the conference coaches.
Ruch earned PacWest Freshman of the Year honors and second team outfielder after hitting a team-high .371 on the year, the seventh highest in the conference. Despite not becoming a regular in the lineup card until the Silverswords' ninth game of the season, Ruch also drove in 37 runs and 16 extra base hits including a team-best three home runs while finishing seventh in the PacWest in OPS (on-base plus slugging) at 1.045.
During a four-week stretch from mid-February to mid-March, Ruch put together a program record 15-game hitting streak which also saw his average peak at .527 and lead NCAA Division II in batting average during a three-week span. He also had a 19-game reached base streak.
Kudell, a junior college transfer who was named to the third team, hit .331 on the season with his batting average never dipping below .300 at any point of the season. The Irvine, California, native had 55 hits, 32 RBI, 27 runs, 30 walks and 17 extra base hits, which included 15 doubles.
The Silverswords completed the first year of their return to the diamond after a 44-year absence with a 15-33 mark.
PacWest Player of the Year honors went to Point Loma's Scott Anderson while the conference had Co-Pitcher of the Year in PLNU's Dylan Miller and Concordia University Irvine's Jake Covey, the latter of whom was also the Newcomer of the Year. Cade Marshman of Azusa Pacific was named the Defensive Player of the Year while Coach of the Year went to Westmont's Tyler LaTorre.
