PLNU took 3 of 4 from the #14 Otters for Team of the Week, while Vulcan Arthur Soto was a hero three times as Hilo went 4-1. Westmont's Sean Youngerman was nasty for the second straight week to repeat as Pitcher of the Week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Arthur Soto, 3B, 5-11, 170, Jr., Scotts Valley, Calif.
Arthur Soto helped Hawai`i Hilo to a 4-1 record at the Big Island Baseball Bash with a go-ahead hit, a game winning walk-off hit and a game tying hit in the bottom of the ninth. The third baseman ended a game against Chaminade with a bases loaded single for a 4-3 win, tied a contest against St. Martin's in the bottom of the ninth with a single (5-4 UHH win) and put the Vulcans in front of the Saints for good one day earlier with a single during a 8-3 victory. He hit .429 for the long weekend with seven RBI, two home runs and four doubles. Soto was also named the NCBWA West Region Player of the Week today.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Westmont's Sean Youngerman, RHP, 6-3, 235, Soph., Valencia, Calif.
Sean Youngerman earns the PacWest Pitcher of the Week for the second time, this time leading the Westmont Warriors to a 4-1 win over Western Oregon. The righthander pitched the first six innings and didn't allow a run, gave up just one hit and fanned 11 Wolves. He also walked just one batter. In two games in 2024, Youngerman is 2-0 with one run allowed and 17 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. He also has yet to give up an extra base hit this season.
SEA LIONS TAKE TWO OF THREE FROM #14 OTTERS: The PacWest Team of the Week is the POINT LOMA SEA LIONS. Point Loma went on the road and took three of four from CS Monterey Bay, who was ranked No. 14 nationally in last week's NCBWA poll. The Otters are also the preseason pick to win the CCAA after taking both the regular season and CCAA tournament titles in 2023. The Sea Lions took the series in dominent fashion, outscoring the Otters on their own turf, 32-10. PLNU won 2-1, then lost 13-8, then rolled in the next two contests, 6-1 and 11-0. Six different pitchers threw in the 2-1 win, while Dylan Miller threw a gem in the 11-0 shutout. Millers pitched seven innings, gave up just four hits and one walk and fanned seven to move to 2-0 on the year. Jake Entrekin had a home run and three RBI to pace the offense. Hunter Otjen had four RBI in the 6-1 victory as four different Sea Lions toed the rubber and allowed just one run. After winning three of four, Point Loma slid into the top spot in the regional poll yesterday (see next).
POINT LOMA TOPS POLL: Point Loma leads four PacWest teams in this week's NCBWA West Region Baseball poll, sitting on the very top rung. The top three teams on the list all received first place votes but the Sea Lions edged CS San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona for first. Hawai`i Pacific has the sixth spot, Azusa Pacific is eighth and Fresno Pacific is ten. Here is the complete list. (1) Point Loma 4-2, (2) CS San Bernardino 5-2, (3) Cal Poly Pomona 3-1, (4) Northwest Nazarene 3-1-1, (5) CS Monterey Bay 4-4, (6) Hawai`i Pacific 7-1, (7) CS East Bay 6-1, (8) Chico State 3-0, (9) Azusa Pacific 2-6, (10) Fresno Pacific 2-1. RV--Biola, San Francisco State, Westmont, Concordia, Sonona State, Stanislaus State, Hawai`i Hilo.
PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: The PacWest was an impressive 17-8 last week against teams from the CCAA, GNAC and RMAC. Concordia finally got on the field and swept CS San Marcos, while Fresno Pacific opened and won two of three from CS Dominguez Hills. Hawai`i Hilo went 4-1 with two of those wins coming against St. Martin's and Hawai`i Pacific went 3-1 against the same competition. Westmont was unblemished (3-0) against Western Oregon and San Francisco State and as mentioned earlier, Point Loma took three of four against CS Monterey Bay...FPU's Tommy Rover had a great opening weekend, going 7-for-11 with four RBI and three doubles against the Toros...Concordia had two players with great doubleheader numbers with Isaiah Walz and Jordan Bolden each slapping four hits. Bolden had four RBI and Walz had three stolen bags...Also for the Golden Eagles, Josh Pugh had 10 strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched and Riley O'Sullivan went the same distance with seven K's and just one run..Biola's Wyatt Duncan had two home runs in one game at MSU-Denver. Duncan has four home runs this year with 11 RBI...Eagle teammate James Whitman also has four HR's and 11 RBI and is 12-for-24...Preseason MVP Scott Anderson (PLNU) is hitting .542 with three doubles and 10 RBI...There are some outstanding early season numbers on the mound as well (in additon to Youngerman's numbers listed above). Hawai`i Hilo's Matthew O'Brien is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA having only just four hits in ten innings with 14 strikeouts...Westmont's Ryan Humphreys had allowed just three hits in 10 innings with 21 strikeouts.
THIS WEEK IN THE PACWEST: Baseball action begins today non-conference style with CS Los Angeles playing at Azusa Pacific and Chaminade hosting St. Martin's. The Saints move over to play Hawai`i Pacific on Wednesday and then Thursday begins the long weekend with these series kicking off through the weekend--Concordia vs. CS Dominguez Hills, Cal Poly Pomona at Westmont, San Francisco State at Azusa Pacific, Biola at CS San Bernardino, UC Colorado Springs at Point Loma and Sonoma State at Fresno Pacific. On Saturday-Sunday, Hawai`i Hilo and Chaminade square off.
