UC Riverside sophomore Francisco Tellez and Cal Poly junior Matt Imhof secured Big West Baseball Field Player and Pitcher of the Week accolades, providing outstanding performances for their respective clubs.

Tellez Leads Highlander Charge At The Plate

Sophomore Francisco Tellez (La Mesa, Calif./Valhalla HS) reached base safely 15 times in 19 plate appearances to lead UC Riverside to a 3-1 record and earn Big West Baseball Field Player of the Week honors.

The first baseman batted .714 (10-for-14) with four walks and had three multi-hit efforts as the Highlanders took a single game from Gonzaga and two out of three from Stony Brook.

Tellez went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a stolen base in an 11-6 win over Gonzaga.  He opened the Stony Brook series with a 2-for-3 effort, adding a double and run scored in a 2-1 loss.

In Saturday’s 3-2 victory, Tellez sparked a UCR rally by driving in the first run and scoring the tying run in the bottom of the sixth.  He added his second stolen base of the series.  In the series finale, Tellez was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles and three RBI as the Highlanders romped to an 11-3 triumph.

For the week, Tellez had a .789 on-base percentage and .929 slugging percentage.

Others nominated: Jimmy Allen (Cal Poly); J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton); Nick Blaser (Cal State Northridge); Ino Patron (Long Beach State); Adam Young (UC Davis); Joey Epperson (UC Santa Barbara); Marc Flores (Hawai‘i)

Strikeout Rampage Nets Imhof Third Weekly Award

For the third time this season, Cal Poly junior Matt Imhof (Fremont, Calif./Mission San Jose HS) notched Big West Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors as he posted his third start with double-digit strikeouts.

The left-hander sat down 14 hitters in an 8-1 victory over Wagner.  Imhof has struck out 14 or more batters three times in five starts, including a career-high 15 the week before against Seattle.  Imhof tossed eight innings of three-hit ball, walking three and allowing only the one run. 

Imhof owns a 4-1 record with a 1.29 ERA, and he has fanned 55 batters in 35 innings.

Others nominated: Thomas Eshelman (Cal State Fullerton); John Salas (Cal State Northridge); Ty Provencher (Long Beach State); Zach Stone (UC Davis); Jacob Smigelski (UC Riverside); Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara); Scott Squier (Hawai‘i)