FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Mario Hollands
A nearly untouchable pitching performance by UC Santa Barbara’s Mario Hollands earned him Big West Pitcher of the Week honors, while Cal State Fullerton’s freshman standout Nick Ramirez blasted a trio of long bombs in a 4-0 week to pick up Big West Player of the Week accolades. This is the first weekly award for both recipients.
Hollands faced just two batters over the minimum during his Friday start in a complete-game, 1-0 shutout over Loyola Marymount. In nine innings pitched, the sophomore southpaw allowed just one hit and walked one to become UC Santa Barbara’s first one-hitter since March 24, 1986, when Mike Tresemer mastered the same feat. The El Cerrito, Calif., native silenced a Lions team that was averaging 9.3 runs per game.
Ramirez extended his hitting streak to nine games, hitting .500 (9-for-18) with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI in wins over San Diego State and a series sweep at Southern Miss. In Tuesday’s midweek match-up at Tony Gwynn Stadium, the Anaheim, Calif., native went 3-for-4 with a pair of singles and a two-run double in the Titan’s 7-2 victory. In the Titan’s 22-hit offensive outburst on Friday in Hattiesburg, Miss., the left-handed hitter missed hitting for the cycle with a single, a double and a home run, one of three Titan round-trippers in the top of the third. The following day he was hitless against the Golden Eagles’ pitching staff until a seventh-inning, two-run homer which provided two of the Titans’ final three insurance runs in the 11-6 win. In the series finale, Ramirez singled in his first at bat and later blasted a home run for the third straight contest.
For the week, Ramirez, who had three multi-hit games, registered five runs and seven RBI, while knocking two doubles and three home runs. His explosiveness led Cal State Fullerton to became the first Southern Miss nonconference opponent to take a weekend series at Pete Taylor Park since 1996.
