GREENSBORO, N.C. — Ben White, Mark Jebbia and Nick Byrd of the University of La Verne baseball team were selected to the 2015 ABCA All-West Region teams as voted by the region's head coaches.
White was selected to the Second Team and also won the Gold Glove Award as a first baseman. Jebbia landed on the Second Team as well and Byrd earned a spot on the Third Team.
White has cemented his place as one the elite hitters in the region. The junior ended the season hitting .386/.480/.627 with four home runs, 48 RBI and 36 runs. He also smacked six triples, which is good for 14th in the nation, and amassed 104 total bases.
White was nearly perfect on the field. He committed just one error out of 420 total chances for a .998 fielding percentage. He was perfect in SCIAC play.
Jebbia excelled both ways—pitching and hitting—and was selected as a utility player. The senior hit .306 with two home runs and 29 RBI while going 2-4 on the mound with a 3.54 ERA and 34 strikeouts.
Byrd has emerged as La Verne's go-to reliever, capable of going multiple innings. He tossed the third most innings (58.1) on the team as a reliever and compiled a 5-5 record with seven saves out of the bullpen. The freshman's finest performance came when it mattered most, as he pitched 7.2 scoreless innings in relief to lead the Leopards past the Kingsmen, 4-2, and capture the 2015 SCIAC Baseball Postseason Tournament Championship.
