TURLOCK (March 3, 2009) — Dakota Watts, who is expected to return for a second summer with the Crabs in 2009, has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 23-March 1.
Watts, a junior, helped Cal State Stanislaus ascend to the top of the NCAA Division II poll for the first time in school history with a dominant performance on Feb. 28 against Sonoma State. He hurled eight shutout innings against the defending CCAA champions, throwing 134 pitches, striking out seven and yielding just two hits in a 3-0 Warriors win.
Watts has been the ace of the Warriors' staff so far this season. He has won all four of his starts, posting a 1.14 ERA — the lowest for a starter in the conference — and holding opposing batters to a meager .183 average. He strikes out a batter an inning, punching out a team-leading 24 in 23 2/3 innings.
Those numbers are strikingly similar to the ones Watts posted for the Crabs in 2008. He emerged as one of the team's most dependable starters, going 5-1 with a 1.33 ERA and 42 K's in 40 1/3 innings. The big, strong right-hander is one of the key pieces of what the Crabs expect to be a strong staff in 2009.
