California State University Northridge Athletics
Photo by: Dianne Wentz
Simons Named Co-Field Player of the Year, Seven Matadors Receive All-Big West Nods
6/1/2023 12:04:00 PM | Baseball
Complete All-Big West Team
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---Fresh off registering its most wins in 21 seasons, seven members of the CSUN Baseball team received All-Big West accolades on the Thursday, the league office announced.
Junior outfielder Jakob Simons was named Big West Co-Field Player of the Year and took home first-team accolades. Sophomore shortstop Ali Camarillo joined Simons on the All-Big West First Team while sophomore outfielder Kevin Fitzer and junior pitchers Lucas Braun and Joshua Romero were placed on the All-Big West Second Team. Sophomore second baseman Shunsuke Sakaino and sophomore pitcher Xavier Martinez received an Honorable Mention.
Originally from Pleasanton, Simons had a career season with the Matadors, improving his batting average 129 points from last season. Simons finished first in the conference in OPS (1.115) while he ranked second in slugging percentage (.665), third in home runs (14), fourth in batting average (.356), on-base percentage (.450) and runs scored (51), fifth in stolen bases (11), and seventh in hits (67) and RBI (48). Simons also shined on defense, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with two assists in center field.
During the year, Simons reached base in 44 of 48 games and hit safely 37 times while posting a team-high 23 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI games. In Big West play, Simons slashed .350/.441/.650 with eight homers and 30 RBI.
Simons is the second Matador in team history to be named Big West Field Player of the Year, joining Eric Verbryke who received the honor in 2002.
A Chula Vista native, Camarillo topped the Matadors in batting average. Camarillo finished second in The Big West in batting at .371, improving his average 101 points over his freshman season. He also ranked fourth in the conference in slugging (.611) and OPS (1.032), 10th in RBI (44), 11th in doubles (15), 13th in hits (65) and 16th in on-base percentage (.421). Camarillo would record the seventh-most assists in The Big West with 120 to go with a .931 fielding percentage at shortstop.
In all, Camarillo reached base safely in 41 of 46 games including the final 21 games of the season. Big West action saw Camarillo slash .417/.443/.675 to go with five homers and 29 RBI.
Another big bat in the lineup, Fitzer played in a career-high 49 games, making 46 starts mostly in left field where he led the team with 50 RBI. The Aliso Viejo native finished fourth in The Big West in RBI while he ranked seventh in batting (.339), 11th in slugging (.537), 13th in OPS (.947) and 15th in home runs (8). Fitzer also added 60 total hits, 35 runs scored and six stolen bases, serving as the team's primary clean up hitter.
On the year, Fitzer shared the team lead in multiple-RBI games (14) while posting the second-most multiple-hit games (19). In Big West action, he batted at a .339 clip to go with five homers and 32 RBI.
A Los Angeles native, Braun served as the Matadors' Friday starter in his second season with the program. The right hander became just the third Matador since 2006 to reach 100 strikeouts in a season while he went 6-5 with a 4.83 ERA. Braun ranked third in The Big West in strikeouts and innings pitched (91.1) and seventh in wins to go with eight quality starts. On the year, he would strike out at least 10 batters in three games. Braun also lowered his ERA to 3.13 in seven road starts.
Braun's best work would come against league opponents where he went 5-2 with 65 strikeouts in 10 starts.
Originally from Oxnard, Romero made team history in his first CSUN season. He would serve as the team's closer throughout the year, breaking the school's record for saves in a season with 13. Romero, who converted on each of his save chances, led The Big West in the save department and ranked fifth natonally, two off the pace of the Division I leader. He appeared in a team-high 23 games, posting a 3.29 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. Batters also managed just a .211 average on the season against the CSUN stopper.
Romero converted nine saves against Big West opponents while striking out 15 batters in 16.1 innings.
Sakaino, a San Diego native, gave the Matadors consistent play offensively and defensively. He played in a career-high 49 games, making 46 starts at second base. A regular on the base paths, Sakaino led the team in walks (28) and ranked second in on-base percentage (.428) while batting .310 with 37 runs scored, 23 RBI and eight stolen bases. Sakaino finished seventh in The Big West in sacrifice hits (6) and 11th in on-base percentage. In the infield, Sakaino was third in the conference in assists (137), registering a season .982 fielding percentage.
Sakaino improved his batting average to .314 in Big West games while he went 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
Originally from Bonita, Martinez served as one of the team's top relief arms. Martinez posted a 4-1 record in 20 appearances, racking up 45 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. He did not allow an earned run until the second month of the season while he finished the year yielding just nine total. Martinez would also limit the opposition to a .211 batting average.
Martinez registered a strong 2.59 ERA in Big West action, posting a 3-0 record with 31 strikeouts in 13 appearances.
CSUN's seven all-conference honorees are the program's most since boasting nine on the 2002 All-Big West Team.
#GoMatadors
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---Fresh off registering its most wins in 21 seasons, seven members of the CSUN Baseball team received All-Big West accolades on the Thursday, the league office announced.
Junior outfielder Jakob Simons was named Big West Co-Field Player of the Year and took home first-team accolades. Sophomore shortstop Ali Camarillo joined Simons on the All-Big West First Team while sophomore outfielder Kevin Fitzer and junior pitchers Lucas Braun and Joshua Romero were placed on the All-Big West Second Team. Sophomore second baseman Shunsuke Sakaino and sophomore pitcher Xavier Martinez received an Honorable Mention.
Originally from Pleasanton, Simons had a career season with the Matadors, improving his batting average 129 points from last season. Simons finished first in the conference in OPS (1.115) while he ranked second in slugging percentage (.665), third in home runs (14), fourth in batting average (.356), on-base percentage (.450) and runs scored (51), fifth in stolen bases (11), and seventh in hits (67) and RBI (48). Simons also shined on defense, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with two assists in center field.
During the year, Simons reached base in 44 of 48 games and hit safely 37 times while posting a team-high 23 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI games. In Big West play, Simons slashed .350/.441/.650 with eight homers and 30 RBI.
Simons is the second Matador in team history to be named Big West Field Player of the Year, joining Eric Verbryke who received the honor in 2002.
A Chula Vista native, Camarillo topped the Matadors in batting average. Camarillo finished second in The Big West in batting at .371, improving his average 101 points over his freshman season. He also ranked fourth in the conference in slugging (.611) and OPS (1.032), 10th in RBI (44), 11th in doubles (15), 13th in hits (65) and 16th in on-base percentage (.421). Camarillo would record the seventh-most assists in The Big West with 120 to go with a .931 fielding percentage at shortstop.
In all, Camarillo reached base safely in 41 of 46 games including the final 21 games of the season. Big West action saw Camarillo slash .417/.443/.675 to go with five homers and 29 RBI.
Another big bat in the lineup, Fitzer played in a career-high 49 games, making 46 starts mostly in left field where he led the team with 50 RBI. The Aliso Viejo native finished fourth in The Big West in RBI while he ranked seventh in batting (.339), 11th in slugging (.537), 13th in OPS (.947) and 15th in home runs (8). Fitzer also added 60 total hits, 35 runs scored and six stolen bases, serving as the team's primary clean up hitter.
On the year, Fitzer shared the team lead in multiple-RBI games (14) while posting the second-most multiple-hit games (19). In Big West action, he batted at a .339 clip to go with five homers and 32 RBI.
A Los Angeles native, Braun served as the Matadors' Friday starter in his second season with the program. The right hander became just the third Matador since 2006 to reach 100 strikeouts in a season while he went 6-5 with a 4.83 ERA. Braun ranked third in The Big West in strikeouts and innings pitched (91.1) and seventh in wins to go with eight quality starts. On the year, he would strike out at least 10 batters in three games. Braun also lowered his ERA to 3.13 in seven road starts.
Braun's best work would come against league opponents where he went 5-2 with 65 strikeouts in 10 starts.
Originally from Oxnard, Romero made team history in his first CSUN season. He would serve as the team's closer throughout the year, breaking the school's record for saves in a season with 13. Romero, who converted on each of his save chances, led The Big West in the save department and ranked fifth natonally, two off the pace of the Division I leader. He appeared in a team-high 23 games, posting a 3.29 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. Batters also managed just a .211 average on the season against the CSUN stopper.
Romero converted nine saves against Big West opponents while striking out 15 batters in 16.1 innings.
Sakaino, a San Diego native, gave the Matadors consistent play offensively and defensively. He played in a career-high 49 games, making 46 starts at second base. A regular on the base paths, Sakaino led the team in walks (28) and ranked second in on-base percentage (.428) while batting .310 with 37 runs scored, 23 RBI and eight stolen bases. Sakaino finished seventh in The Big West in sacrifice hits (6) and 11th in on-base percentage. In the infield, Sakaino was third in the conference in assists (137), registering a season .982 fielding percentage.
Sakaino improved his batting average to .314 in Big West games while he went 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
Originally from Bonita, Martinez served as one of the team's top relief arms. Martinez posted a 4-1 record in 20 appearances, racking up 45 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. He did not allow an earned run until the second month of the season while he finished the year yielding just nine total. Martinez would also limit the opposition to a .211 batting average.
Martinez registered a strong 2.59 ERA in Big West action, posting a 3-0 record with 31 strikeouts in 13 appearances.
CSUN's seven all-conference honorees are the program's most since boasting nine on the 2002 All-Big West Team.
#GoMatadors
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