Garner, Valentine earn PacWest baseball honors

Garner, Valentine help HPU sweep weekly honors

QUEEN CREEK, AZ - For the second straight week, Hawai‘i Pacific captured both the Pacific West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week awards thanks to a repeat performance from senior OF Jacob Valentine (Vancouver, WA/Skyview) and a stellar relief job by senior hurler BA Garner (Federal, WA/Decatur).

Player of the Week (March 9-15) - Jacob Valentine (photo right) - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., OF, 5-10, 180, S/R, Vancouver, WA/Skyview) - earned the award for the second straight week...led HPU to a 3-1 record vs. Grand Canyon in weekend  series... batted .500 (8 for 16) in four starts...scored seven runs, drove in eight and slashed three triples...had an .875 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base rate...was 2 for 2 in stolen base attempts.

Pitcher of the Week (March 8-15) - BA Garner (photo left) - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., P, 5-11, 150, R/R, Federal, WA/Decatur) - posted a 0.00 earned run average while picking up a pair of saves in two conference wins over Grand Canyon...allowed just four singles while striking out five batters in three innings of action...opponents hit .286 against the closer.

 

PacWest Baseball Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll

Alex Agortsas - Hawai‘i Pacific (Jr., C, 6-0, 190, R/R, Mission Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley) - registered a .455 batting average in three starts...was 5 for 11 with two runs scored and two RBI...hit a sacrifice fly and was hit by a pitch...posted a .455 slugging rate and a .462 on-base mark.

Blake Amaral (photo) - Hawai‘i Pacific (Fr., INF, 6-1, 190, R/R, Hilo, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Keaau) - batted .400 in four starts vs. Grand Canyon...went 6 for 15 with four runs scored, a double and two RBI...walked, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base...had a .471 on-base average...also produced a .467 slugging mark.

Joey Bristyan - Grand Canyon (Fr., OF/P, 5-8, 150, L/L, Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon) - started three of four games in the weekend series at HPU...hit .571 by going 4 for 7 with two runs scored, a double and one RBI...walked twice and was hit by a pitch...went 2 for 2 in stolen base attempts...recorded a .714 slugging rate and a .700 on-base mark.

Casey Collins - Grand Canyon (Fr., P, 6-5, 205, R/R, Glendale, AZ/Cactus) - tossed a complete-game victory over Hawai‘i Pacific on March 12 in PacWest conference game...had a 2.57 earned run average...allowed two runs over seven innings...permitted seven base hits while striking out four.

Daniel Cox - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., P, 6-0, 170, L/L, Lakebay, WA/Peninsula) - earned a victory over Grand Canyon in final conference contest in a four-game set on March 13...had a 1.50 ERA...allowed one run on six hits while striking out four...did not issue a walk...Grand Canyon batted just .182.

Matt Fox - Grand Canyon (Sr., SS/3B, 6-3, 230, R/R, Yuma, AZ/Kofa) - batted .429 in four starts over the weekend...was 6 for 14 with five runs scored and four RBI...tripled once and homered twice...had a 1.000 slugging mark and a .429 on-base percentage.

Cheynne Hirota - Hawai‘i Pacific (Sr., INF/OF, 5-9, 185, R/R, Hilo, HI/Waiakea) - batted 462 in four starts, going 6 for 13 with three runs, five RBI and a double...posted a 538 slugging mark and a .533 on-base rate...walked twice.

Caelan O'Meara - Hawai‘i Pacific (Jr., 6-3, 180, L/L, Windsor, CA/Santa Rosa) - claimed a victory over Grand Canyon on March 12...posted a 3.00 ERA...struck out eight in six innings of work...allowed two earned runs and scattered five base hits...opponents hit .238.

Kenny Turner - Hawai‘i Pacific (Jr., 5-11, 180, R/R, San Carlos, CA/Junipero Serra) - hit 444 in four starts vs. Grand Canyon...went 4 for 9 with five runs scored and two RBI...also walked in four at-bats...stole one base...had a .615 on-base percentage and a .444 slugging mark.

Sean Winston (photo) - Hawai‘i Pacific (Jr., INF, 5-9, 175, R/R, Richland, WA/Richland) - batted .500 against Grand Canyon in four-game conference series...was 7 for 14 with two runs scored, a double and five RBI...posted a .571 slugging rate and a .556 on-base percentage...had a walk, two stolen bases and was hit by pitches twice.