For the second time this season, a Gaucho has been tabbed as a Preseason All-American by a major baseball publication, as junior shortstop Brandon Trinkwon was named to Baseball America’s Second Team, it was revealed on Thursday afternoon.
Trinkwon was one of just two Big West players to make the cut, as Cal State Fullerton’s Michael Lorenzen also made the Second Team as a utility player.
In his sophomore season, Trinkwon was a major offensive force for UCSB, batting .347 and recording an incredible .950 OPS (on base plus slugging percentage). Both of those figures were second best on the team behind Oakland Athletics draftee Brett Vertigan. He also led the squad in walks (40) and finished second in both doubles (16) and triples (4).
The Tustin, Calif. native was also one of the Gauchos’ defensive leaders, finishing the season with a .959 fielding percentage, best among UCSB’s middle infielders. In a seperate article released on the same day by Baseball America analyzing its All-American selections, Trinkwon was named as the “Best Defensive Infielder” in college baseball, while also ranking as one of the top draft-eligible shortstops in this year’s class.
“Brandon is certainly an important player in this program,” said UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts. “He is a middle of the order hitter and plays a key defensive position at a very high level. I look forward to seeing how he contributes this year.”
UCSB sophomore pitcher Andrew Vasquez was named a Preseason All-American earlier this year by Perfect Game. With a strong core in place, the Gauchos look to be major players in the Big West Conference this year.
Trinkwon and the rest of the Gauchos will get their season underway in two weeks, when they travel to Fresno State to take on the Bulldogs from Feb. 15-17. Their home opener will take place on Feb. 19 against UCLA, with their first home series coming a few days later against USF from Feb. 22-24.
