UC Irvine freshman Keston Hiura and Long Beach State junior Tanner Brown topped all performers to capture this week’s baseball awards.
Hiura Pounds Opposing Pitching As UCI Goes 4-0
Freshman Keston Hiura (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) was a spark plug behind a potent UC Irvine offense as he garnered his first career Big West Baseball Field Player of the Week honor.
The outfielder hit .450 (9-for-20) with seven runs scored and eight RBI to lead the Anteaters to a 4-0 record, including a win over No. 25 San Diego and a conference series sweep of UC Riverside.
Hiura backed the UCI offense, which recorded double-figure runs in all four contests, a feat that only the 1982 Anteaters had accomplished. He had multiple hits in all four games, and posted at least one run scored and one RBI in four straight.
He knocked in the game-winning run against the Toreros, finishing 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. In the series opener versus the Highlanders, he plated the go-ahead run en route to a three RBI day, ending up 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored in a 15-5 victory.
Hiura struck again in the Friday contest, doubling for the third consecutive game as he plated two more runs in a 10-4 win. He polished off his solid series going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in Saturday’s 11-9 squeaker.
UCI’s No. 3 hitter owns a 15-game hitting streak and has reached base in 17 straight.
Others nominated: David Olmedo-Barrera (Cal State Fullerton); Nolan Bumstead (CSUN); Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State); Woody Woodward (UC Santa Barbara); Kaeo Aliviado (Hawai‘i)
Brown Latest Dirtbag Pitcher To Win Award
Long Beach State junior Tanner Brown (Fountain Valley, Calif./Golden West CC) collected Big West Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors as he tossed a complete game two-hit shutout.
He is the third Dirtbag pitcher to earn Pitcher of the Week honors this season, joining Kyle Friedrichs (Feb. 23 and Mar. 30) and Chris Mathewson (Mar. 2).
The right-hander eked out a 1-0 pitcher’s duel against CSUN, allowing just a ninth inning walk and striking out seven in going the distance. He had retired 14 straight before issuing the free pass.
Brown did not allow a Matador past second base for the entire game. After LBSU scored the game’s only run in the fourth, Brown sat down 12 in a row and faced the minimum after picking off a runner on second to end the game.
Brown is the second straight Dirtbag to throw a two-hit shutout on Friday after Friedrichs did the deed last week against UC Santa Barbara.
Others nominated: Casey Bloomquist (Cal Poly); Justin Garza (Cal State Fullerton); Jerry Keel (CSUN); Max Cordy (UC Davis); Cameron Bishop (UC Irvine); Dillon Tate (UC Santa Barbara); Tyler Brashears (Hawai‘i)