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WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Travis Taijeron of the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team has been named the 2010-11 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Male Athlete of the Year, conference officials announced Tuesday. 

The award is voted on by the 12-member institutions' Sports Information Directors during their annual spring meeting. UC San Diego's Camille Gaito earned the Female Athlete of the Year after helping the Tritons capture a national title in softball.

Taijeron is the fifth CCAA Male Athlete of the Year from Cal Poly Pomona and the fourth Broncos baseball player to receive the award. He also is the 10th baseball player, and second straight, to be honored as the conference's top athlete. UCSD's Brandon Gregorich earned the award in 2009-10.  

The most recent Bronco to capture the Male Athlete of the Year honor was Devon Edwards of track and field in 1993-94. Ruth Van't Land received the Female Athlete of the Year accolade two-straight years, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
  
Taijeron, a senior outfielder from San Diego, Calif., capped an impressive collegiate career by being selected an NCAA Division II All-American in the Daktronics, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) award announcements. He also swept the Daktronics ABCA/Rawlings and NCBWA West Region Player of the Year awards, and was named the CCAA's Most Valuable Player. 

During his final collegiate season, Taijeron led the CCAA in virtually every offensive category as he batted .392, clubbed 16 home runs, scored 59 runs, collected 51 RBI, tallied 148 total bases, walked 50 times, posted a .744 slugging percentage, recorded a .534 on-base percentage and had a 1.000 fielding percentage. His defensive prowess helped him land a spot on the ABCA National Gold Glove Team.

Taijeron batted .542 over the final month of the season to help Cal Poly Pomona make a late-season run that resulted in a CCAA Tournament berth and NCAA Regional appearance.

At the conclusion of the year, Taijeron picked up even more honors, including selection to the West Region All-Tournament Team and the College Baseball Lineup Division II All-Star Team along with inclusion as a semifinalist for the Tino Martinez Award, given annually to the top Division II baseball student-athlete. 

CCAA Athletes of the Year - Cal Poly Pomona
1999-2000 Ruth Van't Land (Soccer)
1998-99 Ruth Van't Land (Soccer)
1997-98 Ruth Moecks (Track & Field)
1993-94 Devon Edwards (Track & Field)
1990-91 Onnaca Heron (Tennis)
1989-90 Niki Bracken (Basketball)
1985-86 Debra Larsen (Basketball, Track & Field)
1984-85 John Love (Baseball, Track & Field)
1982-83 Larry Beardman (Baseball)
1975-76 Dennis Sherow (Baseball)