[batted balls]

August 31, 2006

Tempe, Ariz.--Mark Prior of Southern California may get most of the ink, but Floyd Bannister now has two All-American Baseball League West Pitcher of the Month awards. The Arizona State left-hander was honored Wednesday by league officials.

"Both Mark and Floyd are having great years," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles who had both pitchers on his West All-Star team. "We're fortunate to have Floyd on our side."

Bannister, 14-5 with a 2.34 ERA, was 3-0 in August. The Sun Devil lefty ranks third in ERA and is fifth in wins. Bannister's August ERA was just 1.30 in 41.2 innings.

"I feel honored to be selected for this award," Bannister said. "At the same time, though, it's even better to be on a first-place ballclub."

Arizona State continues to lead the AABL West with a 93-39 record. The Sun Devils lead second-place USC by nine games.

West Standings
Arizona State 93-39 --
Southern Cal 84-48 -9
UCLA 71-61 -22
Cal 69-63 -24
Texas 66-66 -27
Oklahoma State 64-68 -29
Stanford 63-69 -30
Arizona 58-74 -35
Cal State Fullerton 56-76 -37
San Diego State 36-96 -57

Player of the Month: Bob Hamelin, UCLA
Pitcher of the Month: Floyd Bannister, Arizona State (shown below)

Player of the Week: Dave Kingman, USC

Stat of the Week: Oklahoma State was shut out three straight days in a series sweep at the hands of Arizona State.

Team-by-Team August Review
Arizona State: The Sun Devils can beat you in so many different ways. Ranked first in stolen bases, second in home runs and third in team average, Arizona State can put runs on the scoreboard. Pitching continues to be sharp as well. All five starters are in double digits in the win category. In addition, reliever Sean Lowe is 11-1. Outfielder Mike Devereaux (.306-6-35) is back from the disabled list. Bob Horner (.281-33-114), Oddibe McDowell (.252-29-78) and Reggie Jackson (.272-24-76) have proven to be lethal.
USC: Staff ace Mark Prior (18-8, 2.31 ERA) has been joined by lefty Barry Zito (18-6. 2.55) and righty Jim Barr (15-4, 3.09) in keeping batters off base. Mark McGwire (.310-48-123) remains the front-runner for West MVP while Fred Lynn (.368-20-94-105 runs scored), Steve Kemp (.268-24-96) and Dave Kingman (.234-34-93) add to the onslaught. Second baseman John Berardino is out with an injury clearing the way for prospect Bret Boone (24 homers in Triple-A) to be promoted.
UCLA: First baseman Bob Hamelin (.284-42-122) leads the Bruin offensive attack. Troy Glaus (.252-31-99) and Jackie Robinson (.294-9-68-6 steals) have produced solid second halves. UCLA pitching, however, has kept the Bruins from gaining ground on Arizona State and USC.
Cal: The Golden Bears have continued to rise in the standings despite losing pitchers Andy Messersmith (10-7, 2.67 ERA) and Mike Cather (14 saves, 3.40) to the disabled list. All-Star Orval Overall (15-8, 2.76) quietly continues to win. Jeff Kent (.279-27-80), Sam Chapman (.257-22-55) and Geoff Blum (.279-5-42) ignite the offense.
Texas: Manager Cliff Gustafson likes what he saw in August from his Longhorns. Hard-throwing Roger Clemens (10-14, 2.76 ERA) recently tossed a two-hitter at Cal for his second shutout of the year. Minor league call-up Greg Swindell (6-3, 3.35) is a strong bet for a slot in next season's rotation. Huston Street (26 saves, 2.35) can close out any game. Only a lackluster offense (.227 team average) has kept Texas from climbing higher in the standings.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboy offense has dropped off the map of late. Manager Gary Ward's club was shut out eight times in August. Joe Horlen (12-10, 2.65 ERA) and All-Star pick Tim Pugh (11-8, 3.03, 3 shutouts) give OSU a solid 1-2 punch. Pete Incaviglia (.255-34-82) has an outside shot at 100 RBIs.
Stanford: Strong pitching and little offense continues to be the Cardinal way. Right-hander Jack McDowell (13-9, 3.14 ERA) has emerged in the second half while All-Star Mike Mussina (11-12, 2.44) continues to suffer from lack of offensive support. Opponents are batting just .157 against closer Steve Chitren (31 saves, 1.78). Third baseman Steve Buechele (.222-20-69) leads the team in home runs and RBIs.
Arizona: Manager Jerry Kindall's Wildcats have run their way into a tie for first in team stolen bases with rival Arizona State. Leading the way are outfielders Dan Meyer and John Moses (14 steals each) and Kenny Lofton (six). Jason Bates (.281-14-62) is Arizona's biggest threat in the lineup. Stopper Trevor Hoffman (31 saves, 3.78) has tied Stanford's Steve Chitren for the West lead in saves.
Cal State Fullerton: A trio of pitchers has given manager Augie Garrido hope for 2007. Starters Mike Harkey (11-8, 2.80 ERA) and Jeff Robinson (10-13, 3.12) have been impressive at times. Relief ace Mike Schooler (22 saves, 1.30) has 55 strikeouts in just 48 innings. Catcher Dan Whitmer (.255-12-46) has given Dante Powell (.265-5-42) and Aaron Rowand (.265-7-44) some offensive help.
San Diego State: The worst pitching in the AABL isn't getting any better. Right-hander Aaron Harang (7-10, 3.31 ERA) is the lone Aztec starter whose ERA is under 5.00. Mark Grace (.327-7-45), Travis Lee (.255-28-75) and player-manager Tony Gwynn (.249-13-59) supply most of the offense. With a month yet to play, the Aztecs may reach the 115-loss mark.