May 29, 2008
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Washington State senior Paul Gran was named All-Pacific-10 Conference and the league's Defensive Player of the Year, conference commissioner Tom Hansen announced, Thursday.
A native of Bothell, Wash., Gran batted .313 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI in 54 starts. He added 11 doubles, two triples and seven stolen bases. Gran committed just one error in 163 chances (.994) in 2008. His .993 fielding percentage at third base is a Washington State single-season record.
Junior second baseman/designated hitter Travis Coulter, senior pitcher Jayson Miller, senior first baseman Jim Murphy, senior outfielder Scott Suttmeier, freshman shortstop Shea Vucinich and junior pitcher Matt Way were named honorable mention.
Coulter led the Cougars with a .333 batting average. Miller won a team-high eight games. Murphy belted a team-high 16 home runs and drove in a team-leading 61 runs. Suttmeier batted .327 and hit safely in 29 of his last 31 games. Vucinich tied Murphy for the team lead with 17 doubles. Way posted a team-best 4.01 earned run average.
