LUBBOCK, Texas (March 30, 2022) – For the first time in more than a year, an Oklahoma Christian baseball player earned a weekly regional honor as Isaiah Alvarenga was named Wednesday morning as the South Central Region pitcher of the week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Alvarenga was named as the Lone Star Conference's pitcher of the week on Monday and emerged as the regional honoree after voting done by 10 athletic communications professionals from the region – five each from the LSC and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which make up the region.

The sophomore right-hander from Grapevine, Texas, starred in OC's 2-0 win on Sunday over Eastern New Mexico. He pitched a nine-inning complete-game shutout, allowing only four hits (all singles) while striking out 11, with only one runner advancing beyond second base.  

He struck out five ENMU batters during a stretch in which he retired 12 straight Greyhounds. His 11 strikeouts were the fourth-most this season by an LSC pitcher.

Alvarenga is one of only three OC players ever to receive a weekly regional honor, joining Chance Westervelt, who won the hitting award in mid-March 2021, and Gabe Rodery, who was a regional pitcher of the week in March 2019.

As a regional honoree, Alvarenga will be one of eight finalists for the NCBWA's national pitcher-of-the-week award, the winner of which will be announced later Wednesday.