Guyette third pitcher to win in last month
For the fourth consecutive week, an Arizona player earned conference weekly honors.
This time junior Kevin Guyette won Pacific 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week, commissioner Tom Hansen announced yesterday.
Guyette pitched a one-hitter as No. 6 Arizona (21-10, 5-1 Pac-10) shut out UCLA 11-0 Saturday evening on its way to a three-game series sweep of the Bruins on the road. The right-hander struck out 11 batters and walked two while throwing 100 pitches.
Guyette allowed only a Tommy Lansdon second-inning single in the contest. After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning, he allowed no runners past first base and retired the final 11 Bruins in a row.
"I think it's a bigger deal to other people than it is to myself," Guyette said. "I'm just happy we came away with three wins on the weekend, and that's a much bigger accomplishment than winning an award, but I guess it feels good to get the credit. It feels good to throw well also."
Guyette joins previous Arizona pitchers junior John Meloan (March 22) and sophomore Mark Melancon (March 15) as award winners.
Last week, junior first baseman Jordan Brown earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors, as did junior left fielder Trevor Crowe Feb. 22.
"It's pretty evident that we have a lot of talent on this team," Guyette said. "We have talent top to bottom in our lineup hitting, and I think we have talent top to bottom on our pitching staff. Different people have picked us up throughout the weekends."
Guyette said the game against UCLA marks the first one-hitter in his career.
"If I did (pitch a one-hitter before), I can't remember," he said. "Maybe in little league or something, but in high school and college I don't think there's any of them."
Guyette threw Arizona's second one-hitter of the season, after Meloan combined with junior Sean Jarrett to one-hit New Mexico in the season-opener Feb. 4. Arizona pitchers had not thrown a one-hitter before this season since Ron Sismondo combined with two relievers March 25, 1980.
The complete-game shutout was also the first for a Wildcat pitcher since senior Sean Rierson's 6-0 victory over UC Irvine Feb. 15, 2003.
Guyette has now struck out eight or more batters in seven of nine starts.
He also won his first game when going the distance, coming in with a 0-2 mark in such starts.
Guyette and the Wildcats travel to Washington State (15-17, 0-6) for a three-game series this weekend.