Myka Sutherlin, Cal State Fullerton
Softball Pitcher of the Week
Senior • Pitcher • Gilbert, Ariz. |
• Myka Sutherlin was great yet again as Cal State Fullerton swept UC San Diego on the road to pull into a first-place tie, picking up a league-best fourth Big West Pitcher of the Week honor and second in a row.
• Sutherlin (13-7) twirled two complete-game shutouts while the Fullerton staff did not surrender a single run all weekend to the host Tritons. The Titan ace has thrown 11 complete games in 2023, with seven shutouts.
• The fifth-year senior right-hander first fanned eight on Friday evening while scattering three hits without a walk. On Saturday, Sutherlin struck out seven more while allowing two hits and a pair of walks.
• Sutherlin totaled 14.0 innings for the second weekend series in a row, giving up just four runs during this stretch for an ERA of 1.00 with 35 punch-outs. The second-year transfer from Pacific is currently at 23.2 consecutive shutout frames over four starts.
• Sutherlin’s prior awards this season came on Feb. 13, Feb. 27 and April 10. The product of Gilbert, Ariz., is a seven-time career recipient with three selections in 2022.
Also Nominated: Allie Gardiner (CSUN), Shannon Haddad (Long Beach State), McKenna Kostyszyn (Hawai'i), Paige Maier (Cal Poly), Brooke Perez (UC Riverside);
Izabella Martinez, Hawai'i
Softball Field Player of the Week
Sophomore • Catcher • Garden Grove, Calif. |
• Izabella Martinez continued to excel at the dish for fifth-place Hawai’i, leading the squad with a .600 (6-for-10) batting average in a come-from-behind series win at home over UC Riverside to nab a second consecutive Big West Field Player of the Week recognition.
• Martinez had at least one hit and one home run in all three contests, to the tune of four long balls in the set, scoring four times with eight RBI.
• The Garden Grove native went 2-for-3 with two homers in Saturday night’s series finale (7-1), including a fifth-inning grand slam, to finish with a career-high five RBI.
• The true sophomore is batting a team-best .393, which ranks fourth in The Big West, and is second with nine home runs only behind teammate Mya’Liah Bethea (11). Both standouts have started all 41 contests. Martinez currently boasts an eight-game hitting streak.
• Starting all three games as the Hawai’i catcher and No. 5 hitter in the batting order, Martinez was charged with two errors defensively over 18 chances (14 putouts, two assists) for an .889 fielding clip.
• Prior to Martinez going back-to-back, Bethea was UH’s first Big West Field Player of the Week for 2023 on Feb. 20.
Also Nominated: Jackie Alday (UC Riverside), Jessica Clements (Cal Poly), Anna Dethlefson (UC Davis), Deshea Hill (Cal State Fullerton), Madelyn McNally (UC Santa Barbara), Makayla Medellin (Long Beach State), Vinessa Nunez (CSUN);
Makayla Medellin, Long Beach State
Softball Freshman of the Week
Freshman • Utility • Yorba Linda, Calif. |
• Makayla Medellin aided co-leader Long Beach State to a crucial come-from-behind road series victory at third-place UC Santa Barbara to pick up a league-leading third Big West Freshman of the Week award.
• The Yorba Linda native and graduate of Yorba Linda High School batted .500 (5-for-10) while hitting safely in all three contests.
• Medellin was 1-for-4 with a go-ahead RBI single early in a 6-3 loss in Saturday’s opener before going 2-for-3 in both dominant shutout victories over the remainder of the weekend. Medellin scored twice and drove in three, including two on a fourth-inning double, during a run-rule, 9-0 romp in five innings in the Sunday finale.
• Medellin started the first game in right field and the next two at second base, handling all seven defensive chances cleanly with three putouts and four assists, including one of the outfield variety.
• Medellin’s previous Big West Freshman of the Week honors came after a solid college debut over the first weekend (Feb. 13), and on March 6.
Also Nominated: Jackie Alday (UC Riverside), Sophia Ramuno (Cal Poly);
| 2023 Big West Softball Weekly Winners |