Local college athletes honored by ESPN

By RAY RODRIGUEZ - ARGUS OBSERVER
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 12:49 PM PDT

MONMOUTH - The ESPN the Magazine will once again don the accomplishments of some former local athletes, who dominated on the diamond.

Western Oregon University senior second baseman and Fruitland High School graduate Aaron Sutton, and George Fox University senior and New Plymouth High School graduate Drew Johnson have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 baseball team.

The team was selected from a base of players in the west, including NCAA Division II, III and the NAIA. This is the third year for the CoSIDA Academic All-America and All-District teams to be sponsored by ESPN The Magazine. The awards are voted on by members of the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA). District VIII includes all sports information directors from schools in the NCAA, the NAIA and the NCCAA in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii and Arizona.

Sutton, a business major with a grade point average of 3.65, was one of four infielders selected to the squad, while Johnson (3.58), a business administration major, was one of two outfielders selected.

Sutton hit .286 for the Wolves this season, with five doubles and 15 RBIs.

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He started in 42 of Western Oregon’s 47 games, which included time spent at third base in the beginning of the season. In 2006, he was a first-team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference pick at third base, where he has a fielding percentage of .961, making just six errors on the season in 152 chances.

Johnson, a first-team selection for his play at centerfield for the Bruins, leads the league in hits (65), at bats (170), and total at bats (194). The 5-foot-9 speedster also ranks second in stolen bases with 27, third with a batting average of .382, fourth in runs with 39 and has 76 total bases.

Johnson is first all-time at George Fox in career stolen bases with 88 and third in runs scored with 165 and has posted 224 hits. Both players are now eligible for the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team, which will be announced later this spring. He was also First Team in 2005, and Second Team in 2004 and 2006.