UCSB’s Rodney Boone, who has given up just two hits and no runs in 11 innings so far this season, was named by the Big West Conference on Monday as its Pitcher of the Week.
The UCSB baseball team, which has moved up to No. 7 in three national polls after sweeping Pepperdine in a four-game series, also swept the Big West Conference’s weekly awards on Monday.
Junior infielder Marcos Castanon became the second Gaucho to win the Field Player of the Week Award, while Rodney Boone was honored as Pitcher of the Week.
UCSB (6-1), which has won six consecutive games since losing its season opener to Santa Clara, moved up to No. 7 in the D1 Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, and USA Today coaches’ polls. Baseball America boosted the Gauchos from No. 19 to No. 15.
Castanon, who’s batting .462 on the year, followed in the footsteps of shortstop McClain O’Connor, who won the previous Big West Field Player of the Week Award.
He hit .438 on the weekend with two home runs, six runs scored, and nine RBI. He had three multi-hit games and has hit safely in all seven contests this year.
The Big West’s weekly award was the first of Castanon’s career.
Boone, a sophomore lefthander, won Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in his career. He retired 11 of the first Pepperdine batters he faced on Saturday and pitched a no-hitter for all six of his innings. He struck out six and walked three in a game the Gauchos eventually won, 5-0.
Boone leads the Big West with a record of 2-0 and an earned run average of 0.00. He has struck out 15 batters and allowed just two hits in 11 innings. Opponents are batting just .057 against him.
UCSB returns to action at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium on Friday at 3 p.m. with the start of a four-game series against Oregon. Spectators are not allowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
UCSB Women’s Basketball
Redshirt senior guard Doris Jones earned Big West Conference Player of the Week honors after a terrific weekend against UC Riverside.
Jones, an Oakland, Ca. native, averaged 28.5 points in leading the Gauchos to a pair of wins over the Highlanders. It’s Jones’ second conference Player of the Week honor this season. She scored a career-high 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in Saturday’s game. The 35 points was the fifth-best point total in a single game in program history, tying her with Erin Buescher.
Westmont women’s basketball adds game
The streaking Westmont College women’s basketball team has added an extra game to its schedule to tune up for the upcoming NAIA National Championships.
The Warriors (9-1), who completed Golden State Athletic Conference play on Saturday with a 6-0 record, have scheduled a non-league game for Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene, an NCAA Division 2 school.
The NAIA National Championship Opening Round pairings will be announced at that same time on Wednesday.
Westmont was seeded No. 1 for last year’s NAIA Tournament before it was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warriors, who have won nine straight games since losing to Division 1 Pepperdine in their season opener, will open NAIA Tournament play on March 12.
Westmont sends 10 to NAIA meet
Ten Westmont College athletes are heading for Yankton, S.D. to compete in this week’s NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships. The four-day event will begin Wednesday at Dakota State University.
On the women’s side, the Warriors have qualified Kristen Mohrhoff (600 meters), Madden Hundley (mile), and Sydney Marr (25-pound weight throw). Marr, who earned NAIA All-America honors in 2019, is seeded fifth in this year’s meet.
The male qualifiers are defending pole vault champion Seth Wilmoth and Adam King. Wilmoth, a three-time All-American, set the school record of 5.05 meters (16-6.75) at last year’s NAIA Championships and qualified third this year with his mark of 4.90 meters (16-0.75).
The Westmont men have also qualified teams in the 4×800 relay and the distance medley relay.
email: mpatton@newspress.com
