Three Aggies earn All-American status
LAWTON, Oklahoma (June 11) – For the second year in a row three Cameron Aggie student-athletes achieved All-American status in their respective sport. This season both Nate Arevalo and Brad Bichel were named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America Team, and Daniel Pazos was named to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-America Team. All three men were seniors for 2008-2009.
“I think it is quite an honor to be named an All-American,” Athletic Director Jim Jackson said. “I am proud of these three individuals; not only did they perform well in their respective athletic venue but they all represented Cameron extremely well. I’m very proud that three Aggies were named All-Americans for the second straight year.”
Pazos was named to the Division II All-American men’s tennis team for his superb singles play this season. Not only was he also named the 2008-2009 Cameron University Male Athlete of the Year, but he was named the Lone Star Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year. This is the second consecutive year Pazos was named an All-American.
At season’s end Pazos was the #1 ranked player in the NCAA South Central Region, the top player in the LSC, and ranked in the top ten in the final ITA national singles rankings out of more than 2,000 players. He was named to the LSC All-Conference Team for singles and doubles, and was a three-time LSC Player of the Week award winner. Furthermore, Pazos was named this year’s ITA South Central Region Senior Player of the Year.
For the season, CU’s top singles and doubles player finished the season with a singles record of 21-4 (.840), a doubles record of 21-8 (.724), and an overall combined record of 42-12 (.778). He helped the nationally-ranked Aggies to secure a national ranking of #6 early in the season and he was the primary reason CU won their second consecutive LSC regular season championship.
In baseball, Arevalo was named the second baseman on the NCBWA All-America Second Team following a senior campaign that saw him break the Cameron University school record for home runs in a season with 20. Arevalo also led the nationally-ranked Aggies in batting average (.398), slugging percentage (.760), hits (88), doubles (20), and runs batted in (84).
A two-time Lone Star Conference Diamond Hitter of the Week, Arevalo also was named the LSC Player of the Year. Additionally, he was named to the LSC All-Conference First Team, the American Baseball Coaches Association South Central All-Region First Team, the Daktronics South Central All-Region Second Team, and the LSC All-Academic Team.
CU’s other baseball All-American, pitcher Brad Bichel, had a phenomenal senior season for the Aggies as the ace of the staff. Named to the NCBWA All-America Honorable Mention Team, Bichel finished 2009 with a school record 11 wins for an 11-1 overall record over 70.2 innings pitched. He also led the team with 65 strikeouts and 6 complete games, and opposing hitters batted just .274 against him.
Like Arevalo, Bichel was also named to the ABCA South Central All-Region First Team. Bichel achieved status on the Daktronics South Central All-Region First Team and the LSC All-Conference First Team as well. Additionally, this year’s LSC Pitcher of the Year Award also went to Bichel.
The 2009-2010 athletic season will begin in late August with the beginning of the Cameron volleyball and cross country seasons. Fall golf and tennis will start in September, with both basketball teams beginning practice in October.
“The Cameron Athletic Department had a very good year both athletically and academically,” Jackson said. “With our returning student-athletes next year and the recruits that our coaching staff has signed so far, I fully expect next year to be an even better year. With that success will come more awards and All-Americans.”
All Cameron Aggie fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the official athletics website (goaggies.cameron.edu) throughout the summer offseason for the latest in CU athletics news.
