Months after becoming a first round selection by the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 MLB draft, former Fresno State baseball standout Ryan Jensen has been named the 2018-19 Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year, according to Fresno State Athletics.
During last season’s campaign, Jensen put together a stellar junior season for the Bulldogs, earning All-American honors from both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Jensen finished the season with a 12-1 mark in his 16 appearances, setting a nearly unhittable pace by sporting a .217 batting average and 2.88 ERA in his 100.0 innings pitched. Both stats ranked top five in the MW and are impressive alongside his 107 strikeouts, which was good enough for second place and earned him MW Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team All-MW selection.
“We are very proud of Ryan Jensen for earning this prestigious honor, becoming a great teammate and competitor on and off the field,” said head coach Mike Batesole. “He was on a mission all season and to earn the Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year honor, he had to have a gigantic heart. Ryan Jensen is a Bulldog.”
An ABCA/Rawlings West Region First Team selection, Jensen was pivotal in the Bulldogs’ success down the stretch and subsequent trip to the NCAA Tournament Regionals, winning his final nine starts going 9-0 with a 2.32 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 66.0 innings and throwing 7.2 innings while striking out eight in the opening round win over UC Santa Barbara.
Jensen was a viable selection for MW AOY, becoming a key component to the Diamond ‘Dogs capturing their second Mountain West regular season championship in the last four years along with earning their first Mountain West Tournament title.
This year’s selection marks the second time a Bulldog has received the AOY honor, with former quarterback and current Oakland Raider Derek Carr being the other selection following his 2013-14 selection.
