Jared Sundstrom, UC Santa Barbara  Baseball Field Player of the Week  Redshirt Junior • Outfielder • Gualala, Calif.

• Newcomer Jared Sundstrom batted .500 (5-for-10) and slugged 1.300 over three appearances against the two Oregon schools of the Pac-12, leading UC Santa Barbara to an impressive road sweep of the No. 25 Ducks en route to a first Big West Field Player of the Week award.
• A first-year transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College, Sundstrom produced three runs, two doubles, two home runs, three RBI, one walk, a hit-by-pitch and a pair of steals on three attempts, while also making seven clean putouts defensively in the outfield.
• Sundstrom’s week was highlighted by a 3-for-4 effort in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at PK Park, a 10-0 Gaucho rout in which the centerfielder smacked two solo home runs and a double while scoring three of UCSB’s 10 runs in the contest and swiping two bags. The native of Gualala then wound up 2-for-4 with another double and RBI in the nine-inning nightcap and series finale, a 4-1 decision in favor of the visitors. Sundstrom slashed .625/.600/1.625 for the set in Eugene.
• Sundstrom is tied in the early going for The Big West lead in home runs with three. Blake Klassen was UCSB’s lone Big West Field Player of the Week during the 2022 campaign, on May 2.
• The reigning Big West champion and preseason favorite Gauchos are 5-2 heading into their home opener this Friday night against Xavier.

Also Nominated: Will Bermudez (UC Irvine); Caden Connor (Cal State Fullerton); Patrick Hackworth (UC San Diego); Jonathon Long (Long Beach State); Jared Quandt (Hawai’i); Angel Saldivar (CSU Bakersfield)

Matt Ager, UC Santa Barbara  Baseball Pitcher of the Week  Sophomore • Right-Handed Pitcher • Pleasanton, Calif.

• Matt Ager threw a combined shutout in Saturday’s middle contest of a three-game UC Santa Barbara sweep at No. 25 Oregon to earn a first career Big West Pitcher of the Week award.
• The true sophomore right-hander went the first 6.0 innings of the 10-0 romp before handing the ball off to true freshman right-hander Tyler Bremner for the nine-out save. Ager evened the season win-loss record to 1-1, scattering two singles, three walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out nine more to give the Pleasanton product a league-leading 19 through two starts.
• Ager set down the last eight batters faced in order on four strikeouts and four groundouts, including a comebacker to end a perfect fifth, and fanned three around those two singles in the fourth. No Oregon player advanced past second base.
• It was just a second collegiate starting assignment for Ager, who made 24 relief stints in a stellar first season as a Gaucho in 2022, earning All-Big West Second Team selection.
• Ager’s current teammate, Ryan Gallagher, and former teammate, Cory Lewis, were Big West Pitcher of the Week recipients a year ago.

Also Nominated: Thomas Bainton (CSUN); Anthony Eyanson (UC San Diego); Alex Giroux (Hawai’i); Bryan Green (UC Davis); Dalton Ponce (Long Beach State); Jeter Schuerman (CSU Bakersfield); David Vizcaino (UC Irvine)
 

2023 Big West Baseball Weekly Winners