Haniger Earns All-America Honor From College Sports Madness

CAL POLY NOTES | BIG WEST NOTES
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly junior outfielder Mitch Haniger has landed a second All-American honor, this time from College Sports Madness.

Haniger, honored by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Thursday, earned a spot on College Sports Madness' third team.

Haniger led the Big West Conference in home runs (13), RBI (64), slugging percentage (.626), total bases (132) and sacrifice flies (7). He also was seventh in hitting (.346), third in runs scored (48), third in on-base percentage (.438), third in doubles (18), third in walks (46), sixth in hits (73) and eighth in at-bats (211).

The third Mustang to earn Big West Player of the Year honors, Haniger is 11th in the nation in RBI, 13th in RBI per game (1.14), 30th in slugging percentage, 42nd in total bases, 32nd in home runs, 44th in home runs per game (0.23) and 21st in sacrifice flies.

In three years with the Mustangs, Haniger is fourth all-time with 26 career home runs, tied for No. 3 with 47 career doubles and tied for No. 5 with 137 career RBI. Haniger is expected to be selected in the first three rounds of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on June 4.

Also making the College Sports Madness All-American Team are Cal State Fullerton center fielder and relief pitcher Michael Lorenzen as a utility player on the second team. Starting pitcher Andrew Heaney of Oklahoma State was named Pitcher of the Year. Heaney gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings, suffering a season-opening loss at Cal Poly on Feb. 17 as the Mustangs won 6-0.

College Sports Madness also selected an All-Big West Conference team.

Haniger, senior shortstop Mike Miller and sophomore third baseman Jimmy Allen landed on the first team. No Mustangs were named to the second team. Haniger was selected as Field Player of the Year.

Cal Poly finished the 2012 season 36-20 overall, winning its last seven games and 14 of 17. For the second time in their 16 years as a member of the Big West, the Mustangs finished second with a 16-8 mark, one game behind champion Cal State Fullerton.