TUCSON, Ariz. - Justin Donatella, the right-handed junior ace for No. 16 UC San Diego, was named Monday morning by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as one of 10 Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week from all levels of the college game.
Donatella extended his remarkable shutout streaks to 31.0 innings overall and 28.1 to begin California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, with 7.1 more frames of clean baseball last Friday night as the Tritons blanked then-20th-ranked archrival Chico State, 6-0. The product of Saugus (Saugus HS) out-dueled All-American Luke Barker in a primetime showdown, and host UCSD went on to the four-game sweep of the defending West Region champion and preseason conference favorite Wildcats. Donatella scattered five singles and walked two while striking out nine, including the side on 11 pitches in the third, and five total on called third strikes. He also retired the 'Cats in order in the fifth, and faced two runners on base just once in the seventh, eliminating that threat with a strikeout looking and infield groundout.
The reigning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) West Region and CCAA Pitcher of the Week pending this week's announcements expected Tuesday, Donatella lowered his league-best ERA to a miniscule 0.28, while increasing his league-leading strikeout total to 42. He is now 4-1, having won all four of his CCAA starts without giving up a single run. The sweep was UCSD's first over Chico State in La Jolla, and first since 2011 in Chico. The Tritons have not dropped a regular-season set to the 'Cats since 2007.
Donatella was one of three from the NCAA Division II ranks to be honored by CBN on Monday, all pitchers, alongside East Stroudsburg left-hander Ian Allen and Franklin Pierce right-hander Mike Lundin. Both sophomores tossed seven-inning no-hitters on Sunday, with double-digit strikeout totals of 12 and 11, respectively.
Donatella has nearly matched former teammate and former Triton ace Ryan Goodbrand's consecutive shutout innings streak of 31.1 to begin the 2013 campaign, and following a break for winter quarter final exams, will next take the hill at home against Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, March 21, at 6 p.m.
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