By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Ohio Valley Conference recognized two members of the Tennessee Tech baseball team for their spectacular play over the weekend, naming members of the Golden Eagle squad both the adidas® OVC Pitcher and Player of the Week.
Junior pitcher Michael Wood took home his first OVC Pitcher of the Week honors after outdueling the league's reigning Pitcher of the Year Friday evening, leading the Golden Eagles to a 7-2 victory over top-ranked Southeast Missouri with his most impressive outing of the year. The right-hander notched a season-high nine strikeouts in seven and one third innings of work, scattering four hits and two walks while allowing just one earned run against the one of the nation's most potent offenses.
Freshman outfielder Kevin Strohschein earned his second OVC Player of the Week nod after flirting with the national record for consecutive hits (14) over the weekend, starting Tech's three-game series against SEMO 9-for-9 with two home runs, three doubles, five RBI and six runs scored. While helping the Golden Eagles to a series win over the Redhawks, the rookie slugged 1.636 with an .818 average and .833 on base percentage. In Friday's win, the right fielder smacked two home runs and a two-run double on his way to five RBI.
Strohschein also took home Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week accolades from Collegiate Baseball newspaper for his monstrous efforts, one of just four players honored for the previous week. It represents his first national honor. Additionally, the freshman was named College Sports Madness OVC Player of the Week.
The first-year Golden Eagle currently ranks second nationally in RBI per game (1.40), sixth in total bases (136), eighth in hits (77), 10th in slugging (.720), 18th in batting average (.407) and 35th in home runs per game (0.27). He owns freshman program records for hits, home runs, RBI and doubles in a season and his 63 RBI on the year ranks just 13 behind the best mark in school history (76 set by Brandon Thomasson in 2014).
Photos by Tony Marable & Rob Schabert
