After sweeping their three-game series at Oregon over the weekend, UCSB Baseball swept The Big West’s weekly awards, with the conference naming Jared Sundstrom Player of the Week and Matt Ager Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
Of the Gauchos’ many hot bats in Eugene, Sundstrom’s was the hottest, with the junior outfielder slashing .625/.600/1.625 against the Ducks, including two homers and a pair of doubles, to lead the team in both average and slugging for the series. The Gualala native’s two homers both came in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, two of five Gaucho long balls in that game, then he knocked his two doubles in Saturday’s nightcap to help finish off the sweep. He also stole two bases on the weekend.
Ager recorded his second quality start and first win of the season against Oregon on Saturday, striking out nine and scattering two hits, three walks, and a hit batter across six scoreless innings of work on the way to a combined shutout with Tyler Bremner. The sophomore right-hander now leads the Big West in strikeouts with 19 across his first 12 innings as a collegiate starter. Of the six baserunners Ager allowed on Saturday, none advanced beyond second base.
This is the first career Big West weekly award for both Ager and Sundstrom. They and the Gauchos will play their first home series of the season this weekend, welcoming Xavier to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium for a three-game set, March 3-5.
Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB.
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