April 13, 2009

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - For the second consecutive week Gonzaga University has had a player named the West Coast Conference/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week. This week it is junior starting pitcher Steven Ames who earns the award announced by the conference office Monday.

Ames earns his first career weekly accolade and becomes the fifth Zag to earn the weekly honor, the most by any team in the WCC so far this season. The Vancouver, Wash. native fired a complete-game victory over the WCC's top-hitting team #21 University of San Diego, holding them to just two runs, one earned on six hits and struck out a career-high 10 in the series-clinching win for the Bulldogs this past Saturday.

After allowing single runs in each of the first and second innings, Ames retired the next 14 hitters he faced including a four-inning stretch in which he sat the Toreros down in order. USD recorded only three hits in the final 7.1 innings as Ames recorded the Zags' first complete-game win of the season. He enters week tied for the best record in the WCC with a 6-0 mark.

Other Bulldogs to earn WCC weekly accolades this season were sophomore Cody Martin and junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle who took home Co-Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively, Feb. 23. Junior leftfielder Mark Castellitto was named Co-Player of the Week Mar. 23 and senior starting pitcher Matt Fields earned Pitcher of the Week honors last week.

The Bulldogs close out their six-game homestand with a non-conference match up against in-state rival Washington State University at the to the Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.