Flores Leads Sweep and Tinsley Continues to Dazzle to Earn Weekly Honors
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Cal State Monterey Bay outfielder Nathan Flores and Stanislaus State southpaw Rylan Tinsley have garnered CCAA Player and Pitcher of the Week distinction for March 2-8.
Flores played a large role as the Otters totaled 46 runs and 52 hits for a big sweep over Battle of the Bays rival Cal State East Bay in the CCAA Series of the Week. The junior out of Tustin who is a first-year Otter after spending the 2017 and 2018 seasons at Santa Ana College, completed the weekend 8-for-14 (.571) at the plate with eight runs, three doubles, three walks, seven RBI and just one strikeout. Drawing his first three starts for Cal State Monterey Bay, Flores made six clean putouts in the outfield.
In Friday’s opener in Hayward, Flores went 1-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored, with his sacrifice bunt attempt in the 10th leading to what proved to be the winning run in a 7-4 decision. He was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three more runs, a walk and two RBI as Saturday’s home doubleheader began with a 19-4 romp. After providing a pinch-hit single in the nightcap, Flores wrapped up the set Sunday in Hayward by going 3-for-5 with a walk, two runs, a double and four RBI. His two-run, ground-rule double made it 3-0 during a decisive five-run first inning.
Tinsley threw a second nine-inning complete game in three starts as the Warriors cruised past Cal State LA, 8-1, to open their series on Friday night in Turlock. The Stockton product had a season-high 12 strikeouts to go along with nine flyouts and six groundouts in improving to 6-0 on the year. He holds the national lead in Division II for winning decisions. Tinsley scattered five hits, one of them a home run to lead off the seventh, and did not issue a walk. He faced five batters over the minimum, turning away the first eight ahead of a two-out double in the third, and 16 of 18 to begin the contest. Tinsley, who lowered his season ERA to 1.20, was perfect in the first, second, fourth, fifth and ninth frames. He fanned at least one Golden Eagle in every inning. Stanislaus State and Cal State LA went on to split the weekend.
Tinsley is finally a first-time CCAA weekly honoree this season despite his incredible start, and a two-time selection for his still-young career, having previously been recognized after just his first collegiate start, and second appearance, last Feb. 12. Flores is a first-timer.
A winner of a season-best seven in a row, fifth-place Cal State Monterey Bay (13-9, 10-6 CCAA) is at Cal State San Marcos for four this weekend. Sixth-place Stanislaus State (14-8, 8-8 CCAA) is also headed to southern parts, to Cal State San Bernardino.
Also nominated:
Player - Aaron Greenfield, Cal State Dominguez Hills; Brennan McKenzie, Cal Poly Pomona; Trevor Rogers, San Francisco State; Omar Sanchez, Cal State East Bay; Shay Whitcomb, UC San Diego
Pitcher - Connor Fabing, Cal State Monterey Bay; Grant Larson, Chico State; Cameron Mabee, Cal Poly Pomona; Jack Miller, Sonoma State; Isaac Mullins, Cal State Dominguez Hills; Tyler Penix, Cal State San Bernardino; Brandon Weed, UC San Diego; Mark Woinarowicz, Cal State East Bay