NCBWA All-America Team

MARSHALL, Minn. - The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has announced that Southwest Minnesota State first baseman Andrew Kinney and outfielder Derek West have been named to its 2009 All-America honorable mention team.

Kinney, a junior from Coon Rapids, Minn., wrapped up his 2009 campaign with a .408 batting average and led the Mustangs with 17 home runs, 65 hits and 55 RBIs.  He also had seven doubles and a pair of triples.   Kinney posted a team-best .803 slugging percentage and led the squad with 22 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI games.  His 17-home run performance set an SMSU single-season record, while his slugging percentage ranks second in school history for a single season. Kinney currently sits in the No. 2 spot in career slugging percentage with a .699 average.

West, a senior from Chamberlain, S.D., finished the season leading the Mustangs with a .417 batting average, while ranking third in home runs (9), RBI (41), hits (60) and total bases (101).  His batting average this season ranks as the sixth highest in one season in school history.  West also had eight doubles, three triples, eight stolen bases and tied for the team-lead with 19 bases on balls.  He also finished the season ranking third on the team with 19 multi-hit games and third in multi-RBI games with 14.

West finished his career at SMSU ranking high in the school record book including fourth in batting average (.374), ninth in slugging percentage. (.596), ninth in on-base percentage. (.460) and tied for 15th in home runs (16).  This is West's second All-America selection of the year as he was also named Daktronics All-America honorable mention last month.

Southwest Minnesota State finished the 2009 season with an overall record of 28-15 and made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Central Region Tournament.  The Mustangs finished fourth at the six-team regional tournament in Grand Junction, Colo., with a record of 1-2.

SMSU, located in Marshall, Minn., is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.