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--> --> June 4: Guthrie honored before draft day Ashland Daily Tidings WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Former Ashland High three-sport star Jeremy Guthrie was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year last week and is projected by ESPN to be a top-10 pick in today's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The Stanford junior right hander is also one of five finalists for the 2002 Golden Spikes Award, given annually by USA Baseball to the top collegiate baseball player in the country. "It's a great honor to win (Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year) with all the great pitching in the Pac-10," Guthrie said of the award, which was announced May 28 after being voted on by the Pac-10 coaches. "I feel that I've come a long way in the two seasons that I've been at Stanford and it feels great to be named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year." Guthrie, 23, improved to 11-1 with Friday's 3-2, complete game, 13-inning win over Cal State Fullerton in the first-round of a four-team NCAA regional tournament Stanford was hosting. The Cardinals (43-16) went on to win the tourney and will host USC Friday through Saturday in one of eight NCAA Super Regionals. The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the 56th College World Series, to be played June 14-22 at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. Guthrie compiled a 10-1 record during the regular season while leading the Pac-10 with a 2.52 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 121 1/3 innings. Guthrie pitched complete games in four of his final five regular season outings, won his final four decisions and entered the postseason with a consecutive scoreless streak of 19 innings. He posted a 4-1 record with a 1.88 ERA in eight Pac-10 starts, including his first shutout of the campaign with a career-high 13 strikeouts in a six-hitter at UCLA on May 17. Prior to the playoff win over Cal State Fullerton, Guthrie had posted a 23-5 career record with a 2.68 ERA in less than two full seasons at Stanford, recording 243 strikeouts in 255 1/3 innings pitched. Guthrie, represented by agent Scott Boras, is the No. 2-rated college pitcher in the draft according to ESPN, which predicts the former Grizzly will be selected by the Texas Rangers with the No. 10 pick. According to ESPN's scouting report, Guthrie throws a 90-94 mile-per-hour fastball, has excellent command of four pitches and is "the most polished college arm." The 6-1, 200-pound ace has already been selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2001 MLB First-Year Player Draft and by the New York Mets in the 15th round of the 1997 June Amateur Baseball Draft. Guthrie graduated from Ashland High in 1997, but not before he was named Most Valuable Player for football, basketball and baseball in his senior year. He was a quarterback and kicked for the football team, was a point guard and shooting guard for the basketball team and pitched and played third base for the baseball team. Guthrie also earned Offensive Player of the Year status in football as a senior and graduated as the class Valedictorian. After high school, Guthrie made 15 appearances as a freshman at BYU in 1998 and posted a 5-3 record with one complete game, a 6.10 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 59 innings. He then embarked on a two-year Mormon mission in Spain, after which he transferred to Stanford. The former Grizzly quickly pitched his way into the Cardinals' rotation and became one of the leaders of a team that went all the way to the College World Series championship, where they lost and placed second for the second year in a row. Guthrie saved his best for last, limiting Cal State Fullerton to four hits and one run over seven innings in a 4-1 Stanford victory that sent the Cardinals to the CWS title game. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing