DII West Region Players of the Week (May 3)
PacWest Conference Weekly Awards (May 3)

DALLAS/IRVINE, Calif. – Just days after he set the program record for strikeouts during a complete game three-hit shutout during a 2-0 victory, Academy of Art baseball junior right-hander Collin Carriger has earned a pair of weekly awards, as he was named the PacWest Pitcher of the Week in addition to being named the NCBWA DII West Region Pitcher of the Week. The awards are for games played from Apr. 26-May 2. 

Getting the start in the series finale against Concordia, Carriger carried the Knights to the win by retiring 16 consecutive batters from the first through the sixth inning, beginning that streak with three straight swing-and-miss strikeouts to end the first. After striking out the side in the fifth and as well as the final two batters at the end of the seven-inning outing, Carriger had recorded 14 of the 21 outs necessary via the punch out, setting the ART U record by just one (previous: 13, three times; last: Cannon Secrist on Feb. 21, 2020). The three hits allowed by Carriger ties a career-low in an outing of more than three innings pitched, and it is also the first shutout effort of more than three innings in his career.

"I feel like this was the first time that all three of my pitches were working," Carriger said. "I had the most confidence with my fastball and the curveball and changeup just worked to set up the fastball. I felt good coming into the game and I just tried to focus on throwing strikes and keeping runners off the bases."

It is the second time this season that an Urban Knight has been named both the PacWest Pitcher of the Week as well as the NCBWA DII West Region Pitcher of the Week this season, as Matthew Sanchez did so to begin the season on Mar. 8. This also marks just the second time in ART U history that the program has received a DII West Region Pitcher of the Week award and both are firsts for Carriger in his career.