The eight-time defending California Collegiate League champion Santa Barbara Foresters raked in the end-of-the-season conference awards as expected, with Chris Joyce earning Pitcher of the Year honors and manager Bill Pintard name Coach of the Year.
Joyce, in his fourth year with the team, has a 5-0 record and an ERA of 1.69, averaging well over a strikeout per inning. He has been around the team since the age of six, when he participated in the team’s Summer Camp.
“This is a big honor for me, because I’ve always loved my summers with the Foresters and the opportunity to pitch well and represent them is huge,” said Joyce, a graduate of Dos Pueblos High who was an ace for Central Arizona Junior College in the Spring.
Foresters starting pitcher Chris Joyce
Joyce picked up wins in arguably the three biggest games of the summer — the Fourth of July game at Pershing Park, the Rawlings California Cup Championship game, and last week’s series finale against the second-place San Luis Obispo Blues.
“Chris has proven himself to be a championship pitcher for us, and he’s come through whenever we’ve put him out there,” said Pintard, who has earned the nod as top manager in six of the past seven years.
“Coach Pintard’s positivity and ability to motivate his players are second to none. It’s wonderful to play for a manager like him,” said reliever Nolan Rudman. “That’s the biggest reason why we get such talented players who want to come and play for the Foresters.”
Closer Cody Martin recently set the Foresters record for saves in a season with 12, and the Gonzaga righty was appropriately named Reliever of the Year. University of Texas lefty Sam Stafford, who is averaging two strikeouts per inning on the summer, was named the league’s Top Major League Pitching Prospect.
CCL MVP honors went to Chris Mallory of the Santa Maria Packers, who had back-to-back multi-home run games as nine multi-hit performances over the last two weeks of the regular season.
The Foresters are currently headed to Wichita for the National Baseball Congress World Series, where they will play their first game on Wednesday with the time to be determined. Keep checking presidiosports.com for updates from the tournament.
