SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Three weeks into the 2024 season and the Santa Clara University baseball team already has three West Coast Conference player awards.
 
This week it's freshman right-handed pitcher Max Bayles taking home the Rawlings WCC Freshman of the Week nod for the week of Feb. 26-March 3 after not allowing a run in multiple outings on the road.
 
Bayles earned his third win of the season during the week while helping Santa Clara gain an important road series win at Pac-12 Conference member Washington. He pitched the 14th and 15th innings of Saturday's marathon game in Seattle, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 14th to give the Broncos a chance. He later ended the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the 15th to clinch the series victory and pick up the win.
 
He also closed out Tuesday's game on the road at San Jose State with 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief and two strikeouts. Bayles' outings extended his active scoreless streak to 5 1/3 innings across three outings since Feb. 24.
 
Bayles joins JonJon Berring as a 2024 WCC weekly award winner after Berring took home the season's first two WCC Player of the Week accolades. Santa Clara is the only program that has had an award winner in each of the first three weeks of this season.
 
Bayles and the Broncos open a five-game home stand starting Tuesday when they play host to another Pac-12 Conference opponent in Utah. UC Davis visits for a three-game series starting Friday, and Columbia comes to Stephen Schott Stadium on March 12. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.