MSBL Player of the Week: Bryce Uhrig, Santa Barbara Adult Baseball League

Submitted by Matt Hurst, Waves manager

I lead the Santa Barbara Waves 30+ team in the Santa Barbara Adult Baseball League. I wanted to provide a nomination for ‘Player of the Week’ consideration from our Waves team.

Bryce Uhrig pitched seven innings, struck out 10 batters, and went 3-3 at the plate with five RBI in a 12-4 win over the previously undefeated Oaks.

About two hours before the game, Bryce texted me and said he had sliced his middle finger on the upper pad and wasn’t sure he could pitch at all. With a bandage on and in warm-ups, he decided to give it a go.

After he struck out the first batter, the next batter reached on an error, then a walk, a single scored a run, and then a home run put the Oaks up 4-0 early. Maybe that bandaged finger wasn’t quite ready?

In the second inning, Bryce blasted a 3-run home run to make it 4-3 — a no-doubter to dead center field where the centerfielder didn’t even move. On the mound the rest of the way, Bryce allowed just two more hits and only two additional base runners. He was cruising.

He also doubled and singled, with an RBI on each hit, and scored another run. A true Shohei Ohtani-type day.

The lead picture of Bryce (31), me (16, center), and Ryan Palermo was post-game. Bryce and Ryan played locally at UCSB while I worked there. Ryan was the power-hitting third baseman; I was the broadcaster and sports information director; and Bryce was the pitcher who never hit. However, two of us homered on Sunday — and the other one wasn’t Ryan!