UC Santa Barbara freshman pitcher Andrew Vasquez has been sparkling in his first season as a Gaucho and now he finds himself in elite company.
The 6-foot-6 left-hander was named to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Vasquez is one of 51 pitchers in the nation named to the exclusive list and one of just four Big West pitchers.
The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native is 5-3 with a 1.79 ERA in 10 starts this season. UCSB’s Friday pitcher boasts the lowest ERA in the Big West and his 73 strikeouts top all conference pitchers. He has pitched into the sixth inning in all but one of his starts and has struck out six batters in all but one of his starts. In 60.1 innings pitched he has allowed just 40 hits for a .190 batting average against, one of the top-three marks in the Big West.
“Andrew has given our team a big lift every time he takes the mound,” UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts said. “He is exactly what you want in a Friday starter – he limits our opponent’s offenses and he always gives us a chance to win. This is a terrific honor and Andrew is very deserving.”
In conference games Vasquez has struck out 24 in 23.2 innings and is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA. He has not allowed more than four earned runs in any start this season.
The winner of the Pitcher of the Year Award will be announced on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the annual College Baseball Night of Champions. To see the full list of pitchers, click here.
