By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech starter Jared Herzog was recognized as the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career, as announced by the league Monday afternoon.
Herzog put the Golden Eagle pitching staff on his back on Saturday, tossing the team's first complete game of the season with 9.0 masterful frames on the hill in a 7-1 win over Southeast Missouri. The Ottawa, Ill, native held the Redhawks to just one run on seven hits and four walks, pitching around trouble and keeping a taxed Tech bullpen fresh after a grueling 11-inning win on Friday.
Piling up four strikeouts across the way, Herzog earned his second win of the year while holding back late surges from the Redhawks in the eighth and ninth frames. The complete game played a critical role in the team's weekend sweep over SEMO, sparing a bullpen that used five hurlers in the series opener and five more in the 3-2 win in the finale on Sunday.
The senior southpaw is the second Tech player to take home OVC Pitcher of the Week honors this season and the fifth Golden Eagle to earn OVC weekly recognition. Reliever Reece McDuffie shared Pitcher of the Week accolades on Apr. 28 with Lindenwood's Josh Newell, while the three Player of the Week honors were taken home by catcher Mack Whitcomb on Feb. 17, center fielder Nicho Jordan on Mar. 24, and second baseman Eddie Garza on Apr. 14.
The Golden Eagles return to Cookeville for their final four home games of the season over the next 10 days, starting with their final OVC series at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex of the year. Tech will host Lindenwood in a three-game set starting Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. CT.
Photo by Betty Myers