PacWest Release
   
Phoenix, AZ -- The Urban Knights won their first game of the year last week, and the while the runs came on some key hits by the offense, a lot can be attributed to the Knights Opening Day starter Zach Mexicano, who was selected to the PacWest Top 10 Honor Roll for his efforts. The PacWest office announced the honors on March 19 for games contested March 12-18.

"He threw 107 pitches, and he had command of everything, and kept his composure," said head coach Brian Guinn. "He showed some senior leadership out there on the mound. He wasn't tired, and we had no doubts about sending him out there for the ninth inning."

Mexicano struck out two, allowed two earned runs and scattered seven hits over 9.0 innings of work, his first ever complete game win in the nine-inning format. The senior consistently frustrated the Lopes hitters, as they got on base but weren't able to score. Grand Canyon got runners on first and third with one out in the fifth but Mexicano got two fly balls to get out of it. Michael Pomeroy, the PacWest's leading hitter, singled to lead off the sixth, but Mexicano induced a 5-4-3 double play to eliminate him. He also allowed an infield single in the ninth, but got the next batter to fly out to end the game.

Mexicano is leading the team in innings pitched (39.1) and is ahead of the rest of the starting rotation in ERA (5.49), while also leading the team in strikeouts (23). With his win on Saturday, he became the all-time wins leader in ART U history, breaking out of a tie for first with Darnell Quinney. Earlier this year, he also surpassed Quinney in strikeouts, and now has 113 punchouts to his name. The senior has the most starts and most appearances in team history.

It marked his first PacWest Top 10 Honor Roll selection of this year, and the third of his career.