WKU Sweeps Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week
Kreable Young/HERALD
Earlier today, it was announced that WKU baseball and softball would take home the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors.
On the baseball field, senior Justin Hageman was named to the honor following his complete game (the third of his WKU career), four hit and one run performance against Texas State on Friday, which would wind up being the only win the Hilltoppers would take from the Bobcats this weekend. Hageman would also strike out a season high nine batters, only allow two runners in scoring position, and while a run was scored by Texas State, it wasn’t counted against Hageman, and his ERA fell to a fourth-best 2.12. On the year, Hageman has 34 innings under his belt, and is bouncing back nicely here in 2014, after an injury riddled and disapointing 2013 campaign. This is Hageman’s second career POTW honor, the last coming in April of 2011 after he threw a complete game against Louisiana Lafayette, a game in which he hulred 10 strikeouts.
On the softball diamond, Emily Rousseau was awared the softball pitcher of the week, somewhat of a no-brainer after she threw 6.1 innings of perfect ball yesterday against Troy before an Olivia Watkins error and a walk ended the bid for Hilltopper history. She would go on to retire the final two batters of the game, though, and throw the first Lady Tops no-hitter since Kim Wagner on Feburary 12th of 2012 against Tennessee State, and the first conference no-hitter since Ryan Rogge shut down the 13th ranked Ragin Cajuns on April 30th of 2006. The no-no would go onto be Rousseau’s 13th shutout of her career.
Rousseau won two games this week for WKU, and allowed just three runs on 15 hits and struck out 23 batters, and went the week with a 0.84 ERA. She is in the midst ofa 20.1 innings scoreless streak, and is currently at an even 100 K’s on the year. This is Rousseau’s first honor of the year, but her fifth in her career, after winning it four times last year.
Congratulations to both of these seniors, who aren’t only anchors of their respective pitching staffs, but leaders on the field.
The Tops are back in action tomorrow at Bowling Green Ballpark, as they take on #11 Louisville, while the Lady Tops will square off with an in-state opponent in Murray State on Wednesday.