Former Cienega standout Nick Gonzales of New Mexico State was named National Player of The Year by Collegiate Baseball.
His stat line included: .448, 12 HR, 3 2B, 36 RBI and 21 walks of which 10 were intentional.
According to a release, Gonzales finished the season ranked in the top five in the nation in 10 categories: home runs (1st), home runs per game (3rd), runs (1st), runs batted in (1st), runs batted in per game (1st), total bases (1st), slugging percentage (2nd), on-base percentage (3rd), walks (4th) and walks per game (5th).
Gonzales hit five home runs in a single day against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 29 as he hit two in game one of a doubleheader before belting three more in the nightcap, including an inside-the-park grand slam.
At one point, he hit 12 home runs in only 48 at-bats over 13 games and was on pace to hit 50 homers. When the season was suspended, he had a national best on-base streak of 82 consecutive games.
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to achieve either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognitions. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know.
Portions from news release.
We have recognized 50 athletes so far this year. We recognized 195 athletes in 2019.
Tristan Peterson/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/New Mexico State
Perfect Game Preseason All-American (1/7)
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/5)
NMSU Scholar Athlete Award (5/13)
CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team (5/14)
Nick Gonzales/Baseball
Cienega/New Mexico State
Perfect Game Preseason All-American (1/7)
NCAA Baseball Player of the Year Contender (1/15)
D1Baseball Preseason First Team All-American (1/21)
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/5)
Preseason WAC Player of the Year (2/5)
USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List (2/13)
WAC Hitter of the Week (2/16)
Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week (2/17)
WAC Hitter of the Week (2/24)
CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team (5/14)
Collegiate Baseball First Team (5/26)
Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year (5/26)
Zaylie Calderon/Softball
Mountain View/UTEP
UTEP Student-Athlete of the Week (3/11)
C-USA Honor Roll (5/8)
Heriberto Hernandez Jr./Volleyball
Desert View/Rosemont
Rosemont Rookie of the Year Finalist
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/ Westmont College
GSAC Player of the Week (1/6)
GSAC Player of the Week (1/13)
GSAC All-Conference (3/3)
GSAC Player of the Year (3/3)
NAIA 1st Team All-American (3/26)
SBART Athlete of the Year (5/3)
Mikayla Edris/Soccer
Cienega/Northwestern Oklahoma State
GAC Academic All-Star (3/19)
Cody Treatch/Baseball
Mountain View/Southwestern College
KCAC Scholar Athlete (4/23)
Analeisa Bejarano/Softball
Tucson/Tabor College
KCAC Scholar Athlete (4/20)
Marlee Baxter/Softball
Rio Rico/Tabor College
KCAC Scholar Athlete (4/20)
Trevor Werbylo/Golf
Salpointe/Arizona
GCAA D I West Region Team (4/16)
GCAA D I All-American (4/24)
Jonathan Walters/Golf
Canyon del Oro/South Mountain
GCAA NJCAA D II All-American (4/20)
Briggs Duce/Golf
Buena/Arizona
GCAA D I West Region Team (4/16)
Jake Engel/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Dixie State
NCBW Preseason All-American (1/30)
RMAC Player of the Week (3/10)
Dixie Baseball MVP (4/22)
Roman Bravo-Young/Wrestling
Sunnyside/Penn State
NWCA First-Team All-American (4/17)
Zachary Bohnenkamp/Football
Canyon del Oro/Northern State
NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence (4/21)
Dominick Parkhurst/Baseball
Sabino/Minot State
NSIC All-Academic honor (4/21)
Shae Bushey/Softball
Cienega/Colorado-Colorado Springs
RMAC All-Academic Team (4/15)
Lauren Wedman/Softball
Sahuaro/Colorado Mesa
RMAC All-Academic Team (4/15)
Kelly Decker/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Fort Lewis
RMAC All-Academic Team (4/15)
Julia Roberts/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Fort Lewis
RMAC All-Academic Team (4/15)
Carly Gray/Softball
Sabino/Regis
RMAC All-Academic Team (4/15)
Derek Daly/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Colorado School of Mines
RMAC All-Academic Team (4/15)
Jessica Williams/Golf
Amphitheater/Embry-Riddle
Embry-Riddle Athlete of the Year (4/14)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week (1/8)
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (3/30)
CSC AA All-American 500, 1650, 200 Fly, 800 Free Relay (4/8)
Taylor Nations/Swim
Sabino/Arizona
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (3/30)
Sam Beskind/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Stanford
Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (3/30)
Alexandra Quihuis/Golf
Salpointe/NM State
WAC Golfer of the Week (3/11)
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth Wildcats
National Basketball League MVP (2/16)
All-NBL First Team (2/16)
Grand Final MVP (3/18)
Noelle Kerr/Softball
Empire/Puget Sound
Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Week (3/9)
Logger of the Week (3/9)
Nic Conway/Softball
Catalina Foothills/Yale
Ivy League Honor Roll (2/24)
Ivy League Honor Roll (3/9)
Abby Doughty/Softball
Cienega/Utah Valley
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/4)
WAC Hitter of the Week (3/9)
Izzy Pacho/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
CATS Academics Student-Athlete of the Month (3/4)
Lesly Cazares/Softball
Desert View/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (3/3)
Lual Magot/Basketball
Cholla/McPherson College
KCAC Offensive Player of the Week (1/20)
KCAC All-Conference (2/26)
Alyssa Perez/Basketball
Marana/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (2/4)
ACCAC Player of the Week (2/19)
ACCAC Second Team (2/26)
All Region D2 (2/26)
Reece LaFaye/Track
Marana/Weber State
Weber State Athlete of the Decade (2/17)
Nicole Ley/Softball
Rio Rico/Central Arizona
ACCAC Player of the Week (2/19)
Angel Ochoa/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (2/19)
Scott Bockisch/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Marymount
AEC First Team 200 Medley Relay (2/16)
AEC 2nd Team 100 Fly (2/16)
AEC 2nd Team 200 Relay (2/16)
AEC 2nd Team 400 Relay (2/16)
AEC 2nd Team 400 Medley Relay (2/16)
Nick Estrella/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Azusa Pacific
PacWest Player of the Week (2/17)
Reece Nilsen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Grand Canyon
WAC Men’s Golfer of the Week (4/12)
Bailey Thompson/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Seattle
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/4)
Brianna Aguilar/Softball
Salpointe/Grand Canyon
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/4)
Kevin Jimenez/Baseball
Nogales/New Mexico State
Preseason All-WAC Team (2/5)
Spencer Packard/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Campbell
Big South Preseason All-Conference (1/27)
Perfect Game Preseason Big South Player of the Year (1/27)
Mandy Lorenson/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Fort Lewis
RMAC Players to Watch (1/27)
Luis Aguilar/Football
Nogales/NAU
Athlon Sports FCS Postseason All-American (1/15)
Alex Robles/Baseball
Tucson/Naranjeros de Hermosillo
Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Rookie of the Year (1/8)
Jamee Swan/Basketball
Marana/Colorado
Colorado All-Decade Team (1/2)