SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State senior right-hander Ethan Lay was named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday (March 23) after his near-perfect performance on the mound in a Hornet victory over Winthrop in the opening game of a three-game series last week.
It is the second career award for the Colusa, Calif., native and his first since March 10 of last season when he allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings and 11 strikeouts without a walk against Pacific at home.
Lay's final line against the Eagles last week looked eerily similar as the right-hander tossed eight shutout innings and faced just one over the minimum in Sacramento State's 13-1 victory, allowing just one baserunner and striking out 11 Winthrop hitters without issuing a base on balls.
He was nearly unhittable, retiring the first 11 batters of the game before the Eagles rapped a double in the fourth inning, then retired the final 13 batters he faced — seven of those via the strikeout — while holding opposing hitters to an .040 average on the night.
The 11 strikeouts marked his second double-digit strikeout total of the season, trailing only the 13 strikeouts he had over 8.2 innings against Saint Joseph's on Feb. 20, and the third of his career following those aforementioned 11 strikeouts against the Tigers last season. Outside of his strikeout total, Lay retired Winthrop on eight ground balls and five fly outs, needing only 83 pitches to get through the eight innings.
Entering this week's games, the senior is tied for the top spot in the WAC in strikeouts (42) and strikeouts looking (10) while leading the league in fewest walks allowed (three) by one over his teammate Kurt Marton (four). Elsewhere in the WAC, Lay ranks second in batting average against (.180) and innings pitched (35.2), third in the league in ERA (2.27), fifth in fewest hits allowed (24), and tied for eighth in fewest runs allowed (14)
Nationally, Lay is No. 6 in the NCAA with a league-best 14-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, ranks No. 12 in the nation in fewest walks per nine innings (0.76) and also stands No. 12 in WHIP (0.76). His strikeout total also ranked No. 54 in the country.
On March 11, Lay was one of four pitchers from the WAC to be named to the College Baseball Foundation's initial National Pitcher of the Year Award watch list for 2026 along with his teammate, Marton, and a pair of pitchers from California Baptist.
Sacramento State opens a five-game spring break roadtrip to the Midwest on Tuesday (March 24) with the first of two games at Kansas beginning at 4 p.m. PT. Game two of the midweek series is scheduled for Wednesday (March 25) at 1 p.m. PT before the Hornets take off for a three-game weekend series at Creighton beginning Friday (March 27).
