Collegiate Baseball ReleaseTUCSON, Ariz. - Cal State Fullerton right-hander Colton Eastman was named the Louisville Slugger Freshman Pitcher of the Year, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper announced Wednesday.
Eastman became the first Titans pitcher to earn the distinction from Collegiate Baseball and first to earn a National Freshman Pitcher of the Year award since Thomas Eshelman was named the NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2013. Right-hander Wes Roemer did earn Collegiate Baseball's co-National Player of the Year Award in 2006.
Eastman also becomes the seventh Titans player to earn a National Player of the Year award in the program's history, joining Roemer, Eshelman, Tim Wallach (1979 Sporting News Player of the Year and Golden Spikes Award winner), Phil Nevin (Baseball America Player of the Year, Golden Spikes Award), Mark Kotsay (Golden Spikes Award, Smith Award now known as the Brooks Wallace Award, Collegiate Baseball Co-Player) and Kurt Suzuki (Brooks Wallace, Johnny Bench Award).
In his first season at Cal State Fullerton, the Fresno, Calif. native tied the program's freshman record for strikeouts in a season set by Noe Ramirez in 2009. Eastman fanned 100 batters in 100 and 2/3 innings of work. He made 16 appearances including 15 starts, going 8-3 with a 2.24 ERA while opponents hit just .218 against him.
Along with leading the team in wins, strikeouts and games started, Eastman is ranked nationally in a number of categories. The 2016 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year currently ranks 22nd in the nation in WHIP (0.97), 39th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.00), 44th in ERA, 46th in the country in strikeouts, 50th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.37), 71st in hits allowed per nine innings (6.97), 84th in wins and 95th in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings (1.79).
In conference play, Eastman went undefeated in seven starts, going 4-0 with a 2.28 ERA. He allowed just 12 earned runs in 47 and 1/3 innings and struck out 48 batters compared to 11 walks, allowing opponents to hit .220.
Along with the pitcher of the year distinction, Eastman also earned a spot on the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team to go along with his Third Team selection on the overall Louisville Slugger All-American team announced on June 2. Eastman also earned two Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week awards this season, including the final one of the season after scoring a win over Long Beach State in the regular season finale. Eastman allowed just one run and went a career-high eight and 1/3 innings. He retired nine straight at one point and allowed just one base runner through the first six innings.
During the season, Eastman led the squad with 10 quality starts and went at least six innings 12 times for Fullerton. He set a career high with 10 strikeouts on April 24 against UNLV, accomplishing the feat in five innings of work out of the bullpen, his first and only relief appearance of the season. He allowed more than three runs in a game just twice during the season and recorded at least six strikeouts 10 times.