PacWest Weekly Awards (Mar. 6)

IRVINE, Calif. – Just a day after he earned his second win of the season with seven strong scoreless innings of three-hit ball in a 5-4 win over Menlo, Academy of Art baseball junior right-hander Koh Maeda has been picked as the Pacific West Conference Pitcher of the Week. The award is for games played from Feb. 27-March 5. 

Despite entering the game in the second inning, Maeda provided a steady presence as he entered and limited the Menlo bats to just three scattered hits without a walk. After a single in the fourth, his second hit allowed, he then retired the next 12 batters in a row until a double in the eighth inning that was left stranded on base. It marked his second victory of the season to tie him for the team lead, and he punched out three in the process. 

This is the first weekly award for Maeda both this season and in his career, though it is the second weekly award by an Urban Knight this season as he joins senior outfielder Hayato Niki who was named the PacWest Player of the Week on Feb. 20. It is the third consecutive year that ART U has had multiple PacWest weekly awards and at least one PacWest Pitcher of the Week.