Koon Selected First Team All-West Region by ABCA

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University senior first baseman Tiras Koon (Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) has been named to the 2015 NCAA Division III All-West Region First Team by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Koon previously was chosen Second Team All-West Region by D3baseball.com.

A total of 50 athletes were selected for the 2015 ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region Team. Fifteen players were chosen for the First Team with 16 players on the Second Team and 19 players on the Third Team. Koon was one of two first basemen to be honored on the First Team. The other was

Sam Fox, a shortstop from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif) was chosen West Region Player of the Year. Ptcher Cameron Cox from Concordia College (Texas) was named West Region Pitcher of the Year.

Willamette earned a 21-18 overall record this spring. The Bearcats finished with a 10-14 record in the Northwest Conference (7th place).

First Team All-West Region

At the end of the season, Koon led the Northwest Conference with a .402 batting average, 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. He also ranked first in the conference with a .750 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage.

Koon also ranked nationally in home runs and slugging percentage. He was sixth in NCAA Division III in home runs per game (0.32) and was tied for eighth with 12 home runs. He tied for 17th in slugging percentage. Koon started 37 games for the Bearcats.

On offense, Koon also scored 36 runs, pounded out 10 doubles and received 22 walks. He finished fourth on Willamette's all-time single season list in home runs, was eighth in RBIs and was 10th in batting average. On defense, he was second on the single season list with 350 putouts.

In four years with the Bearcats, Koon played in 129 games with 115 starts. He earned a .330 career batting average with 136 hits in 412 at bats. He scored 82 runs, hit 28 doubles, walked 64 times and was hit by 15 pitches. His 20 career homers rank sixth all-time at WU and he is tied for ninth with 98 RBIs.

He is third all-time at Willamette on defense with 795 putouts. He earned a .980 career fielding percentage.