Tuesday, March 7, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Saint Martin’s pitcher Justice Yamashita has garnered additional recognition this week after earning GNAC weekly honors, receiving selection as the NCBWA Division II West Region Pitcher of the Week.

The junior right-handed pitcher from Honolulu, Hawaii earned regional honors after throwing a complete game shutout in the Saints' 1-0 win over Central Washington on Sunday in Lacey. The win is Yamashita’s first of the year and he is one of just two GNAC pitchers to have thrown a complete game this season.

Yamashita allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out eight batters in the shutout. Along with his eight strikeouts, Yamashita used his outfielders to his advantage, forcing 10 fly-outs in his seven innings of work. He threw six of his seven innings with no margin for error with the score tied 0-0. Yamashita retired eight of the first nine batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit between the third and sixth innings.

The regional weekly honor is the first for any GNAC player this season and the first of Yamashita’s career. Selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the West Region honoree recognizes the top pitcher from the GNAC, CCAA and PacWest conferences.

For the season, Yamashita ranks eighth in the GNAC with a 3.98 ERA and is sixth with 20.1 innings pitched after Sunday’s shuout. He ranks second in the conference with an opponent batting average of .184 and his 24 strikeouts also rank third in the GNAC.

Along with Cal State Dominguez Hills’ Eric Smelko, the West Region Player of the Week, and the other seven regional player and pitcher honorees, Yamashita is now eligible to be selected by the NCBWA as the Division II National Pitcher of the Week.