Stephan Adds National Accolade After Pitching Gem
MORGANTOWN, W.V. – One day after taking home the SEC Pitcher of the Week honor, junior right-handed pitcher Trevor Stephan added a national accolade to his resume as he was named the National College Baseball Writers’ Association (NCBWA) National Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday.
Stephan turned in one of the best pitching performances of the year last week against the Volunteers, throwing a complete seven-inning one-hitter for the 2-0 victory. It was the first complete game by a Razorback pitcher this year and first one-hitter since Brett Eibner did so against top-ranked Georgia in 2009.
Even though the series with the Vols was shortened to two games due to inclement weather, Stephan came up clutch by striking out 11 batters with no runs allowed and two walks. His 11 strikeouts mark his third outing with 10 or more strikeouts and most since totaling 13 against Rhode Island on March 10, which is a career-high.
It was also his second-straight quality start and the first complete game shutout by a Razorback pitcher this year, the first since Zach Jackson achieved the same feat in seven innings at Kentucky last season.
Stephan’s arm has been key for a Razorback staff that continues to lead the SEC in strikeouts (467). In four of his last five starts, the Magnolia, Texas native has struck out five or more batters and three times gone six or more innings.
He is currently tied for sixth in the league with 82 strikeouts, which leads all Arkansas pitchers, and is holding opponents to a .212 batting average, the 11th-lowest in the SEC. In each of his last five starts, he has yet to give up more than three earned runs and hasn’t given up a home run in his last three outings.
Up next, the Razorbacks get back to Baum Stadium for its final regular-season series of the 2017 season when it welcomes Vanderbilt for a three-game set starting on Friday, May 12 at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
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