Make it 4-for-4! The CCAA has now won the first four National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) West Region weekly honors to start the 2026 season. The latest honorees are James Starkus from Cal State Monterey Bay and Dylan Esquival from Cal Poly Pomona.
 
James Starkus earned NCBWA West Region Player of the Week honors after hitting .692 (9-for-13) with three doubles, two home runs, and 11 runs batted in to lead the Otters to a 3-1 series win over Azusa Pacific. The designated hitter from Las Vegas recorded a hit in all four games while scoring six runs. In the series opener, Starkus went 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and six RBI as the Otters overcame an early 7-0 deficit to win 10-7. In the next game, he went 3-for-3 with two doubles, five RBI, and two runs scored. He also reached base safely in all three of his plate appearances in game three, as he had a hit and walked twice. Through two series, Starkus is hitting an incredible .640 (second in the CCAA), and he leads the conference with 16 RBI.
 
Dylan Esquival held No. 7-ranked Colorado Mesa to zero runs and two hits in 5.0 innings of work to earn NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week honors. The senior left-hander struck out seven while not issuing a walk to pick up his first win of the season and help CPP improve to 4-0 to start the season. Across his first two starts, Esquival has thrown 9.0 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts to zero walks and only five hits allowed.
 
2026 NCBWA West Region Honorees
Jan. 26-Feb. 1 - Player: Jack Sanders (Cal Poly Pomona), Pitcher: Austin Balentine (Stanislaus State)
Feb. 2-Feb. 8 – Player: James Starkus (Cal State Monterey Bay), Pitcher: Dylan Esquival (Cal Poly Pomona)