UC Santa Barbara Baseball Coach Andrew Checketts Named West Region Coach of the Year

The UC Santa Barbara baseball team thrived in spite of massive adversity during its 2024 season and as a result head coach Andrew Checketts was named ABCA/ATEC West Region Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association on Tuesday.

Checketts guided his team through the entirety of fall and winter practices without a home diamond. After that the Gauchos played  on the road for the first 11 games of the season as field maintenance at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium was delayed multiple times. 

However, after renovations to the playing surface were completed, UC Santa Barbara won all 25 of its regular-season contests at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, out-scoring their opponents 206-78 in the process.

The Gauchos won their final 21 Big West Conference games, including seven consecutive sweeps. As a result the Gauchos were selected to host an NCAA Regional at their home field for the first time in program history.

The Santa Barbara Regional was the culmination of a season dedicated to Checketts’ father, Gordon, who passed away in early March after a medical emergency that occurred at a UC Santa Barbara baseball game against UNLV.

Like all American Baseball Coaches Association Awards, The West Region coach of the year is voted on by Division 1 baseball coaches from across the country.