UCLA junior left-handed pitcher Rob Rasmussen has earned the Thomas Yankus Pitching Award, along with teammates Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) and Jorge Reyes (Oregon State), as announced Tuesday by the Orleans Firebirds (Cape Cod League). The Yankus Award honors the top Orleans pitchers each summer.

Rasmussen, who was named a Cape Cod League Year-End All-Star on Monday, finished the summer going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The southpaw from Arcadia, Calif., has gone 4-4 with a 6.27 ERA in 27 games (eight starts) the past two seasons at UCLA. Rasmussen figures to be a prominent veteran pitcher for the Bruins in 2010.