SAN RAMON, Calif. - University of California San Diego junior first baseman Tyler Durna was named Tuesday as the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Baseball Player of the Week for the week of April 9-15.
Durna, a product of Chino Hills (Ruben S. Ayala HS), hit a team-best .571 (8-for-14) with team highs of five runs (tied), eight hits (tied), four doubles, seven RBI, four walks, 12 total bases, an .857 slugging percentage and .632 on-base percentage, in leading second-place UC San Diego to its first season sweep of 2018, at home over Stanislaus State. He also handled all 48 chances cleanly over four starts at first base.
Durna's one-out single ignited a two-run, game-tying rally in the sixth inning Friday night against CCAA Pitcher of the Year favorite Joe Ryan, with the Tritons ultimately walking off 3-2 winners in the ninth. He was intentionally walked in that frame. Durna bookended the weekend by reaching base in all five plate appearances in Sunday's 9-4 victory, going 4-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, two runs and three RBI. He scored UCSD's first run in the first and added an RBI double in the fourth, with his two-run double breaking a 4-4 tie for good in the seventh. Durna also had two doubles in a 17-2 romp in game one of the Saturday doubleheader, driving in three more.
This is Durna's second CCAA Player of the Week award of 2018, and fourth of his career. It also marks the fourth weekly conference award for UC San Diego this season. Durna and Alex Eliopulos were the CCAA Player of the Week on Feb. 13 and Feb. 27, respectively, with a third junior, Preston Mott, the CCAA Pitcher of the Week on March 6.
Later Tuesday, Durna became a first-time National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Player of the Week. He therefore is eligible for NCBWA National Player of the Week distinction, which will be announced later in the week. Eliopulos was previously the NCBWA West Region Player of the Week for the Tritons on Feb. 27, and Mott the NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week on March 6.
UC San Diego (24-13, 20-12 CCAA) continues a six-game homestand this Thursday night, April 19, opening a four-game, split-venue CCAA series against Cal State San Bernardino (11-27, 11-21 CCAA). First pitch at Triton Ballpark is set for 6 p.m.
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