Cypress' Kane, Fullerton's Wix Lead All-OEC Baseball Team

IRVINE – A pair of standout freshmen and a grizzled veteran coach highlight this year's list of players for the 2013 All-Orange Empire Conference Baseball team, as selected by the conference's head coaches at their postseason meeting held on Monday at UC Irvine.

Fullerton College outfielder Dakota Wix was named the 2013 OEC Player of the Year after helping the Hornets win their first-ever OEC title and first conference title since 1983. Wix, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound leadoff hitter from Troy HS batted .411 overall with 44 hits, 23 runs scored, 14 stolen bases and 18 RBI in just 26 games played. In OEC play (which determines all-conference selection), Wix overcame a midseason injury and batted an impressive .386 with 22 hits, 11 runs and nine RBI in just 14 games played.

The OEC Pitcher of the Year honors went to Cypress College righty Stephen Kane. The 6-3, 195-pound freshman out of Sunrise Mountain (AZ) HS was a perfect 11-0 for the Chargers in 2013 with two complete games, 72 strikeouts and a 2.03 ERA in 84 1/3 innings of work. In conference play, Kane upped his game even higher, going 6-0 with a 1.92 ERA, allowing just 12 earned runs over 56 1/3 innings with nine walks and 44 strikeouts. Kane's 11 victories in 2013 is second-highest in the state, behind only Sierra's Andrew Cooper (12-1).

Fullerton College head coach Nick Fuscardo, who helped the Hornets win the OEC title and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1993, earned Coach of the Year honors. In a season where the top three Southern California Regional playoff seeds all reside in the Orange Empire Conference, Fuscardo's Hornets (25-11, 15-6 in conference) are the No. 1 seed and will host El Camino-Compton College in a best-of-three series this weekend. In his 28^th year as head coach of the Hornets, Fuscardo is Fullerton College's all-time leader in wins with 546.

Complete 2013 stats for all of Orange Empire Conference baseball can be found at http://www.oecsports.com/sports/bsb/2012-13/leaders.

2013 ALL-ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dakota Wix, Fullerton, (5-8, 160, Fr)

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Stephen Kane, Cypress (6-3, 195, Fr)

COACH OF THE YEAR: Nick Fuscardo, Fullerton

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM