Warriors' J.J. Robinson Named West Group Player of the Year Again
LA GRANDE, Ore. – Lewis-Clark State senior first baseman J.J. Robinson has been voted the NAIA West Grouping North Division Player of the Year for the second season in a row after leading his team to its seventh straight regular-season title, the league office announced Monday.
Robinson, a product of Colfax, Wash., is the first back-to-back Player of the Year since College of Idaho’s Izaac Garsez in 2011-12. During the regular season, led the division in home runs (19), doubles (15), RBI (62), hits (63) and slugging percentage (.730). He was also second with a .341 batting average and finished the regular season on a 13-game hit streak, during which he slugged eight home runs.
He and Pitcher of the Year Connor Noble, a University of British Columbia senior, headed the 18-person All-Group team. During his final campaign, Noble posted a 7-2 record and 1.93 earned-run average over 79 1/3 innings and 11 total starts. He struck out 63 compared to just 13 walks and held opponents to a .233 batting average.
Oregon Tech’s Matt Miles and British Columbia’s Chris Pritchett were voted Co-Coaches of the Year.
Eight Gold Glove awards were also announced. Jackson Smith, Corban’s senior catcher, became a back-to-back winner to headline that group.
Lewis-Clark State, which went 22-8 in circuit play, and UBC, which went 22-11 to finish second, led the way with five All-Group selections each. College of Idaho, which won the Group Tournament on Sunday, had four.
Robinson, Noble, Smith and College of Idaho pitcher Zach Draper were the only back-to-back selections. Draper – who pitched a complete-game seven-hitter in which he allowed just seven hits, struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk in the tourney opener Saturday against OIT – has compiled a 5-6 record with a 2.89 ERA in 87 1/3 innings over 13 starts. He also has a Group-high 90 strikeouts and only 13 walks.
The complete list of honorees is below:
Player of the Year – J.J. Robinson, SR, Lewis-Clark State
Pitcher of the Year – Connor Noble, SR, British Columbia
Co-Coaches of the Year – Matt Miles, Oregon Tech; Chris Pritchett, British Columbia
FIRST TEAM
| Name |
Institution |
YR |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| J.J. Robinson |
Lewis-Clark State |
SR |
1B |
Colfax, Wash. |
| Kai Fong |
Oregon Tech |
SO |
2B |
Waipio, Hawaii |
| Seaver Whalen |
Lewis-Clark State |
SR |
SS |
Vancouver, Wash. |
| Mitch Robinson |
British Columbia |
JR |
3B |
Surrey, B.C. |
| Vinny Martin |
British Columbia |
SR |
IF |
Pender Island, B.C. |
| Bobby Wright |
College of Idaho |
SR |
IF |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Austen Butler |
British Columbia |
FR |
OF |
Port Coquitlam, B.C. |
| Tyler Yorko |
British Columbia |
SR |
OF |
Burnaby, B.C. |
| Cole Mansanarez |
College of Idaho |
SR |
OF |
Blackfoot, Idaho |
| Raymond Pedrina |
Lewis-Clark State |
JR |
OF |
Kapolei, Hawaii |
| Connor Noble |
British Columbia |
SR |
SP |
Vancouver, B.C. |
| Zach Draper |
College of Idaho |
SR |
SP |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Connor Brogdon |
Lewis-Clark State |
SR |
SP |
Madera Ranchos, Calif. |
| Doug Molzahn |
Oregon Tech |
JR |
SP |
Coos Bay, Ore. |
| Riley O’Brien |
College of Idaho |
SR |
RP |
Shoreline, Wash. |
| Jackson Smith |
Corban |
SR |
C |
Salem, Ore. |
| Cooper Goldby |
Lewis-Clark State |
SR |
C |
Yuba City, Calif. |
| Alex Poltz |
Oregon Tech |
JR |
DH |
Auburn, Wash. |
GOLD GLOVES
Pitcher: Rilyn Lewchuk, JR, Corban
Catcher: Jackson Smith, SR, Corban
First Base: Vinny Martin, SR, British Columbia
Second Base: Hunter Hanson, SR, College of Idaho
Shortstop: Kyle McComb, JR, British Columbia
Left Field: Ethan Bragg, JR, Corban
Center Field: Michael Kilpatrick, SR, Oregon Tech
Right Field: Naz Thibodeaux, SR, Oregon Tech