Bill Kinneberg named Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Four Utes named to All-Pac-12 Team

To continue the run of good news for the Utah baseball team, post season honors were announced today for the Pac-12, and the Utes had plenty of representatives. The biggest of the post season nods was Utah manager Bill Kinneberg being named Pac-12 Coach of the Year. It was really a no brainier for the baseball Coach K to win the award as he took the Utes to four straight last place finishes in the conference to the conference title. Kinneberg has always been a great manager, as he's had some Team USA reponsibiltes and has been very good his career at Utah with some obvious limitations (snow!).

To go along with that, the following players were named to the All-Pac-12 team:

Jayson Rose

Cody Scaggari

DaShawn Keirsey Jr

Dallas Carroll

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Utah baseball team had four players named to the All-Pac-12 Conference team while head coach Bill Kinneberg was selected as the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, as chosen by the league’s coaches. Utah’s four selections are its first All-Pac-12 picks since joining the league in 2011-12. The Utes previously have had several honorable mention honorees. Leading the way for the Utes is sophomore pitcher Jayson Rose, who led the league with 102 strikeouts and tied for fourth with eight wins. Rose was an honorable mention selection last season. Senior shortstop Cody Scaggari, who has started at least part time since his freshman season, ranks 11th in the Pac-12 with a .328 batting average. He hit .358 in conference games, which was third overall in league contests. Junior third baseman Dallas Carroll ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in on-base percentage (.433) and is 11th in the league in slugging percentage (.489). He has started 134 games at third over four seasons. Freshman DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., is tied for sixth in the Pac-12 with 11 stolen bases. He leads Utah with 63 hits and 36 runs scored and has a .312 batting average. Keirsey was also named to the All-Defensive Team, marking Utah’s first selection on the team since joining the conference. Kinneberg led Utah to its first Pac-12 Championship after finishing 11th its first four seasons in the league. Utah’s 19 conference victories more than doubles its previous season high for Pac-12 wins (seven). Utah won eight of its 10 Pac-12 series during the season. Baseball’s Pac-12 Championship is the first by a men’s sport at Utah. Earning honorable mention honors was junior pitcher Dylan Drachler, senior designated hitter Kellen Marruffo and junior outfielder Josh Rose. The Utes travel to Oxford, Mississippi, to face Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on Friday, June 3, at 7:00 p.m. CT.