Aztecs Fail to Get Invitation to NCAA Baseball Tournament

San Diego State’s baseball team, which finished second in the Western Athletic Conference regular season and third in the WAC playoffs last weekend in Hawaii, was not among the 48 teams selected Monday for the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Division I tournament, which begins Thursday.

Three Aztecs, however, were chosen on the 12-man all-conference first team: outfielder Billy Miller, third baseman Lance Pinnell and pitcher Rob Brown.

Miller, a junior and a graduate of Bonita Vista High, hit .326 with six homers and 34 RBIs. Pinnell, a senior and former Valhalla High standout, hit .280 with two homers and 24 RBIs. Brown, a senior, was 10-5 with a 2.98 earned-run average.

Brown was a first-team selection last season and the WAC newcomer of the year. Miller and Pinnell were on the second team last year.

Outfielder Jeff Barry, a first-team selection last season, made the second team. First baseman Harry Henderson and pitcher Dave Riddle were named honorable mention. Brigham Young pitcher John DeSilva (16-2) was named WAC player of the year.

SDSU finished at 37-25. WAC champion Hawaii (40-25) received an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. BYU, the regular-season champion, was chosen as an at-large team based on its 47-18 record.