Five Cougars were voted All-PacWest performers, as the conference announced its postseason honors ahead of this week's PacWest Baseball Tournament which will start on Wednesday in Fresno. Omar Lopez was an All-PacWest First Team selection, Isaac Mendez was a Second Team honoree, while Tyus Santa Anna, Jeffrey Castillo, and Jake Vargas were voted to the Third Team.

Lopez was voted to the First Team as a utility fielder, as he saw significant action at both shortstop and third base for the Cougars. Offensively, Lopez was ranked top-10 in the conference in four statistical categories, finishing third in RBI (45), fifth in homeruns (11), sixth in doubles (14), and tenth in slugging percentage (.589). Lopez finished the regular season with a batting average of .298 (50-for-168), and he scored 34 runs and collected 99 bases. In 14 games this season, Lopez had multi-hit performances, and he drove in two or more RBI in 15 games. Defensively at short and third, Lopez had the ninth-most assists in the conference with 99, and he posted a fielding percentage of .938 with 52 putouts. Lopez has now earned All-PacWest distinction in each of his three seasons with Azusa Pacific.

Mendez, the ace of the Cougars' pitching staff, was named to the Second Team. He allowed the fourth-fewest earned runs in the conference at just 24, and he is sixth in the conference in ERA (4.18), strikeouts (59), and total runs allowed (31). Mendez pitched 56 innings over 11 appearances, with all 11 being starts, and he held opponents to a .269 batting average. In 10 of his 11 starts, Mendez struck out three or more hitters, with a season of nine, which he did on three occasions. 

Santa Anna earned selection to the third team at catcher. Santa Anna hit for a .293 average, tallying 22 hits, two home runs, three doubles, ten RBI and 11 runs scored. He reached base safely in 20 of the 28 games he played in. Behind the plate, he had 12 assists and 191 putouts.

Castillo, the Cougars' starting second baseman for much of the season, was also named to the Third Team. A patient hitter at the plate, Castillo drew the sixth-most walks in the PacWest with 24, and he reached base safely in 31 of the 43 games he played. posted a .263 batting average with 30 hits, 24 runs scored, 23 RBI, eight doubles and two home runs. Defensively, Castillo had the ninth-most assists in the conference with 89, and he had 63 putouts and a .938 fielding percentage.

Vargas emerged as the Cougars' closer this season, and his consistency earned him all-conference honors, as he had the fifth-most saves in the PacWest with five. Over 22 innings pitched (13 appearances), he posted an ERA of 2.86 and had a record of 3-1. He held opponents to a .135 batting average, allowing just 10 hits and seven earned runs while striking out 21. In nine of his appearances, Vargas held the opposition scoreless, and he only allowed more than one hit in one of his relying outings. 

Tomorrow, the second-seed Cougars open play at the PacWest Tournament. Their opponent will be the host and third-seed Fresno Pacific, with first pitch set for 4:00 pm. The tournament is double-elimination.