Nevada’s Jake McKinley and Sean Yamaguchi Earn Mountain West Honors
In a stellar announcement on Wednesday, Nevada’s Jake McKinley was recognized as the Mountain West Coach of the Year, and standout third baseman Sean Yamaguchi was awarded Conference Freshman of the Year. McKinley’s achievement marks a significant milestone, as he guided the Wolf Pack to their first Mountain West regular-season title since 2021, finishing with a strong 33-21 overall record and a 19-11 mark within the conference, narrowly edging out Fresno State for the title.
This is McKinley’s third season in charge, making him the third Nevada coach to earn this accolade, following Jay Johnson and TJ Bruce. Yamaguchi made history by becoming the third Nevada player to secure the Freshman of the Year title, previously held by Cal Stevenson in 2015 and Joshua Zamora in 2018. During the season, Yamaguchi hit 10 home runs, tying the conference record for freshman set in 2005. He also ranked sixth in the MW in RBIs and eighth in total bases, concluding the regular season with a commendable batting average of .330 in league play.
Additionally, four other Nevada players received honors, with Jayce Dobie, Jake Harvey, and Alessandro Castro named to the All-Mountain West First Team. Yamaguchi and designated hitter Billy Ham made the Second Team. Dobie led in batting average and hits during conference play, while Harvey excelled with a league-high in walks and impressive on-base performance.
As the number one seed, Nevada gears up for the upcoming Mountain West Tournament at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, opening against the winner of the UNLV-San Diego State play-in game. All tournament games will be broadcast live on Nevada Sports Net.
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