Rice first baseman Lance Berkman Monday was named Western Athletic conference baseball player of the year.

A junior from New Braunfels, Texas, Berkman led the league and nation with 34 home runs. His 116 RBIs set a new WAC single-season record.He also topped the conference in slugging percentage and runs scored. Berkman ended the season with a batting average of .432, second in the conference.

Also honored was Brigham Young pitcher Jeff Stone, named freshman of the year, and San Jose State head coach Sam Piraro, who was named Coach of the Year.

View Comments

The conference's 12 head coaches voated for the awards.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.