Numbers never lie, but sometimes they don’t tell the entire truth. Although he currently touts an earned-run-average of 3.55, UCSB Gaucho pitcher Shane Bieber has been much more dominant than his statistics suggest.
Entering his junior year as the recognized ace on staff and named the Preseason Big West Pitcher of the Year by Perfect Game, Bieber is 3-1 early in the season, having won appearances against San Francisco, Kentucky, and Hartford. His sole loss came at the hands of Oregon, a blowout in which he still tallied five strikeouts.
If you factor out the loss, Bieber’s ERA drops to an impressive 2.05 – not to mention that his average of 7.36 strikeouts per game has the junior on pace to break his career-best 95 Ks from a year ago. A student of the game, he tries to learn from major league pitchers in an effort to build upon his natural talent.