Arizona Baseball: Three Wildcats named to 2013 PAC-12 all-conference baseball team

Brandon Dixon, Johnny Field, and Kevin Newman were all named to the PAC-12's all-conference baseball team on Wednesday. Trent Gilbert also earned an honorable mention.

Dixon, who has also been named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, an award given to the national collegiate player of the year, joins Arizona State's Michael Benjamin as the only third basemen on the all-conference team.

Brandon won the PAC-12 batting title in 2013, a year after Johnny Field also brought the award to Tucson, hitting .369 for the year. "He deserves it" said Andy Lopez.

"It's really cool" said Field. "Yeah, he's one of my best buds...he worked his butt off in the offseason, all fall, and really found himself this year as a player and put all of his tools together and no one deserves it more than him."

"He's the epitome of what you want" said Lopez.

Dixon had just 10 total at-bats his freshman year, and split time with Joseph Maggi at first base last year. This year, he started all 55 games at third base, drove in 51 runs and scored 57 of his own.

"The more opportunities you get the more comfortable you get." said Dixon.

"Some programs fit certain people" he continued. "I knew this program fit me even though I wasn't getting the playing time I wanted. But I knew the players that were ahead of me at that time were better than me....I didn't feel like I was getting treated unfairly."

"I definitely enjoyed the opportunity."

"I'm very blessed to have him in our program for the last few years. Good guy. Good player too. He's going to have a bright future in pro ball" Lopez said.

Johnny Field ended up finishing fifth in the PAC-12 batting race this year with a .347 batting average, and was one of four outfielders selected to the all-conference team. He hit .370 in 2012 and .297 in 2011.

Kevin Newman was one of three freshmen selected, joining Arizona State's Ryan Kellogg, and PAC-12 Freshman of the Year Andrew Moore from Oregon State. Newman hit .336, and started every single game at shortstop for his freshman year. He, Zach Gibbons, and Scott Kingery were the three freshmen that started 30+ games for the Wildcats in 2013.

"This freshman class is going to be really special" said Field. "They came in....and they did a great job, handling themselves the right way and competing really hard."

Sophomore second baseman Trent Gilbert earned an honorable mention with his .344 average, 49 RBI, and 45 runs scored.

No pitchers from the Wildcats made it, which is not how the season was supposed to shake out.

"It was a little different than I anticipated" said head coach Andy Lopez.

You can find all of the PAC-12 baseball postseason awards here.