Long Beach State University Athletics
Baayoun, Andrews Earn Big West Weekly Honors
3/26/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach State swept the Big West weekly awards in baseball this week, as sophomore Zak Baayoun was named Big West Pitcher of the Week and junior Clayton Andrews earned the conference's Player of the Week honor. It's the second Pitcher of the Week award for Baayoun this season after he won on opening weekend.
Baayoun led the Dirtbags to a series-opening win over Fullerton, throwing a career-best 8.0 innings, allowing just one unearned run while piling up eight strikeouts. He surrendered just three hits, and only one left the infield, as he cruised through the Titans lineup. On two separate occasions, Baayoun retired 10 consecutive Fullerton batters on his way to a victory.
If not for his own teammate, Andrews could've been in real contention for both awards this week. The junior lefty delivered a terrific start of his own in Sunday's win, holding Fullerton scoreless through seven innings on the mound, before giving himself the lead at the plate. He stepped up with runners at the corners and one out in the top of the eighth and crushed the first pitch he saw for a two-run triple to put Long Beach up 2-0. He would later score on an error to contribute to all three of LBSU's runs in a 3-1 win. Andrews also picked up the win on the mound, going a career-best 7.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits with six strikeouts.
Andrews reached base multiple times in all four Dirtbags games last week, hitting .500 (6-for-12) and recording a triple in all three games of the Cal State Fullerton series. He led LBSU with three runs scored, three walks, and three RBIs on the week, while also playing solid defense in center field.
Long Beach State has now pulled in four weekly awards this season, with two for Baayoun, one for Andrews and one for Tyler Radcliffe. That means LBSU's entire weekend rotation has earned a weekly honor from the conference this season.
The Dirtbags are back in action on Tuesday night as they host No. 23 San Diego State at 6 p.m.
