TEMPE – Sun Devil Baseball's Gage Canning has been named the Pac-12 Player of the Week and one of Collegiate Baseball News' National Players of the Week following his extraordinary effort this past weekend in helping Arizona State to a three-game sweep over Oregon to open Pac-12 action.
On the weekend, the junior went 10-for-13 from the plate (.769) with two home runs (one inside-the-park), two triples, eight runs scored, seven RBIs, three walks, a 1.615 slugging percentage and a .813 on-base percentage in the series. Five of his 10 hits on the weekend went for extra bases.
Canning was the catalyst for the team's come-from-behind victory on Friday night in the series opener as his two-out, three-run triple put the Sun Devils on top in the 8th inning after trailing for much of the game en route to a 7-4 victory. In Saturday's 18-4 blowout, Canning was 5-for-5 with two home runs (one out of the park, one inside-the-park), five runs scored and four RBIs.
The junior had a streak of eight consecutive hits against Oregon from Friday through Sunday, good for a tie for the third-longest streak in ASU history and the longest since 1999. Canning's inside-the-park home run on Saturday was ASU's first since Trever Allen did it on March 1, 2012 against Saint Louis.
His five hits were a new career best, as were his five runs scored – which were also good for 5th in ASU single-game history. He became the first player to reach 13 total bases in a game since Jeremy West did so in 2003 (14). The 13 total bases were fourth in ASU history behind only Todd Brown (16, 1985 vs. USC), West (14, 2003 vs. Washington State) and Oddibe McDowell (14, 1984 vs. Stanford).
Canning is the current national leader in total hits (42) and triples (8) this season while he sits fourth in the country in batting average (.506) – though he is first among all Power Five players in the category and 40 points higher than any other Power Five player.
The junior has played 20 games this season and has recorded multiple hits in 13 of those and has three or more hits in seven games to date.
Canning is the NCAA active career leader in triples with 22 – eight more than any other player in the nation and good for a tie for third in Sun Devil history. He is chasing the ASU record of 26 set by Alan Bannister and Ed Irvine back in the 1970s. The NCAA record is 32, set by Bob Zeihen of Indiana State from 1985-88, and the NCAA single-season record is 17, set by New Mexico's Keith Hagman in 1980. Canning's eight triples this season are three more than any other play in the nation.
Canning leads the Pac-12 in doubles, triples, hits, batting average and total bases while he is second in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Canning's 42 hits this season are two more than any other Division I player, though he will face off against the current second-place hitter in UNLV's Kyle Isbel on Tuesday night in Phoenix at 6:30 p.m. PT.
The Pac-12 Player of the Week honor was the second of Canning's career and the second for a Sun Devil this season after Spencer Torkelson did so earlier in the season. It is the 148th all-time weekly conference nod for a Sun Devil player.
On the weekend, the junior went 10-for-13 from the plate (.769) with two home runs (one inside-the-park), two triples, eight runs scored, seven RBIs, three walks, a 1.615 slugging percentage and a .813 on-base percentage in the series. Five of his 10 hits on the weekend went for extra bases.
Canning was the catalyst for the team's come-from-behind victory on Friday night in the series opener as his two-out, three-run triple put the Sun Devils on top in the 8th inning after trailing for much of the game en route to a 7-4 victory. In Saturday's 18-4 blowout, Canning was 5-for-5 with two home runs (one out of the park, one inside-the-park), five runs scored and four RBIs.
The junior had a streak of eight consecutive hits against Oregon from Friday through Sunday, good for a tie for the third-longest streak in ASU history and the longest since 1999. Canning's inside-the-park home run on Saturday was ASU's first since Trever Allen did it on March 1, 2012 against Saint Louis.
His five hits were a new career best, as were his five runs scored – which were also good for 5th in ASU single-game history. He became the first player to reach 13 total bases in a game since Jeremy West did so in 2003 (14). The 13 total bases were fourth in ASU history behind only Todd Brown (16, 1985 vs. USC), West (14, 2003 vs. Washington State) and Oddibe McDowell (14, 1984 vs. Stanford).
Canning is the current national leader in total hits (42) and triples (8) this season while he sits fourth in the country in batting average (.506) – though he is first among all Power Five players in the category and 40 points higher than any other Power Five player.
The junior has played 20 games this season and has recorded multiple hits in 13 of those and has three or more hits in seven games to date.
Canning is the NCAA active career leader in triples with 22 – eight more than any other player in the nation and good for a tie for third in Sun Devil history. He is chasing the ASU record of 26 set by Alan Bannister and Ed Irvine back in the 1970s. The NCAA record is 32, set by Bob Zeihen of Indiana State from 1985-88, and the NCAA single-season record is 17, set by New Mexico's Keith Hagman in 1980. Canning's eight triples this season are three more than any other play in the nation.
Canning leads the Pac-12 in doubles, triples, hits, batting average and total bases while he is second in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Canning's 42 hits this season are two more than any other Division I player, though he will face off against the current second-place hitter in UNLV's Kyle Isbel on Tuesday night in Phoenix at 6:30 p.m. PT.
The Pac-12 Player of the Week honor was the second of Canning's career and the second for a Sun Devil this season after Spencer Torkelson did so earlier in the season. It is the 148th all-time weekly conference nod for a Sun Devil player.