Anthony Martinez, UC Irvine  Baseball Field Player of the Week  Freshman • First Base • Fairfield, Calif.

• Anthony Martinez had a monster week as UC Irvine went a perfect 5-0 (four road wins) while outscoring three opponents, 62-26, and is a first-time Big West Field Player of the Week as a result.
• The true freshman homered three times, completing a stretch of four straight games with a long ball on Saturday in the middle meeting of the Anteaters’ loud weekend sweep at Pac-12 powerhouse Arizona State.
• A 6-foot-2, 230-pound left-handed slugger, Martinez hit .556 (10-for-18) and slugged a hefty 1.278 with 10 runs scored, four doubles, the three home runs, 10 RBI, seven walks, three hit-by-pitches, a .714 on-base percentage, an OPS of nearly 2.000, and just one strikeout. The first baseman also handled 41 putouts cleanly on defense.
• The product of Fairfield and 2022 graduate of De La Salle High School in Concord has now reached base in all 11 contests in 2023 and recorded a hit in nine.
• Martinez is UCI’s first Big West Field Player of the Week since current teammates Thomas McCaffrey and then-true-freshman Dub Gleed earned the award last April 25 and April 11, respectively.
• UC Irvine is off to a stellar 10-1 start to the season, and takes a five-game win streak into a home date with LMU on Tuesday night, followed by a weekend trip to Spokane, Wash., to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Also Nominated: James Bell (CSU Bakersfield); Matt Halbach (UC San Diego); Stone Miyao (Hawai’i); Aaron Parker (UC Santa Barbara); Rocco Peppi (Long Beach State); Andrew Rivas (UC Riverside); Graysen Tarlow (CSUN); Cole Urman (Cal State Fullerton)

Michael Stanford, UC Irvine  Baseball Pitcher of the Week  Senior • Right-Handed Pitcher • Fort Worth, Texas

• Michael Stanford was nearly untouchable in three shutout relief stints against marquee opponents Michigan and Arizona State as UC Irvine went 5-0, including a three-game sweep of the Sun Devils in Tempe, Ariz., to pick up a first Big West Pitcher of the Week distinction.
• Stanford took the mound three times in the past week, all in critical junctures, and the sixth-year senior right-hander gave up one hit, a double, in 5.2 innings of work, facing one over the minimum with opponents managing a lowly .056 batting average. The native of Fort Worth, Texas, did not issue a walk, striking out five and picking up a winning decision in Tuesday’s 15-3 home romp over the Wolverines.
• The third year ‘Eater who transferred in from Weatherford (Texas) College has yet to surrender a run or walk this season in five relief outings and 9.0 frames, with three batters able to safely reach base.
• Stanford is UCI’s first Big West Pitcher of the Week since current teammate and staff ace David Vizcaino on May 16, 2022.

Also Nominated: Connor Harrison (Hawai’i); Eric Marrujo (UC Riverside); Izaak Martinez (UC San Diego); Kellan Montgomery (Long Beach State); Reed Moring (UC Santa Barbara); Joshua Romero (CSUN); Evan Yates (Cal State Fullerton)
 

2023 Big West Baseball Weekly Winners