SPOKANE, Wash. — With Gonzaga baseball's historic season now in the rearview mirror, two of its most consistent contributors have added another accolade to their collections.
Following a dominant nine-strikeout complete game shutout that lifted the Zags to a 3-0 Regional win against third-seeded LSU on Friday, Zags RHP Alek Jacob was named to the NCAA's All-Eugene Regional Team after its final game concluded on Monday. Jacob has already been named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year and named to Collegiate Baseball's All-America Second Team in the past week.
GU shortstop Ernie Yake was also named to the 15-player list after picking up two hits and doubling in all three games for three total runs in Eugene to lead the Zags in total hits in the postseason. GU's longtime leadoff hitter, Yake finished second on the team in batting average (.333), third in total hits (57) and second in extra base hits (14) despite missing ten games throughout the regular season.
Yake and Jacob were also GU's two representatives on the Preseason All-WCC team coming into this spring.
Seven Oregon players and five from LSU made the list, rounded out by one from Central Connecticut St. LSU outfielder Gavin Dugas was named the Region's MVP after hitting three homers in the Tigers' last two games as they clinched a regional title.
Against LSU in his lone appearance in Eugene, Jacob was only tagged for four hits, closing the game with four successive hitless frames to lift the Zags to a win over a perennial baseball power in their regional opener.
"I feel like I was just challenging them, making them hit my stuff," Jacob said after that win. "I mean, that's pretty important — not getting into hitters' counts, just jumping up on guys, messing with timing, just keeping them off balance really is the biggest thing. If they're uncomfortable up there, then that's a big advantage for me."
2021 All-Eugene Regional Team
MVP – OF Gavin Dugas, LSU
INF – Zach Arnold, LSU
INF – Sam Novitske, Oregon
INF – Hunter Pasqualini, CCSU
INF – Jordan Thompson, LSU
INF – Ernie Yake, Gonzaga
OF – Dylan Crews, LSU
OF – Anthony Hall, Oregon
OF – Tanner Smith, Oregon
OF – Aaron Zavala, Oregon
DH – Kenyon Yovan, Oregon
P – Robert Ahlstrom, Oregon
P – Javen Coleman, LSU
P – Alek Jacob, Gonzaga
P – AJ Labas, LSU
