BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After pitching in four of five games during the week, notching two saves and riding a 6 1/3 innings consecutive scoreless inning streak, Kentucky senior southpaw Andrew Albers has been named the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Albers pitched on back-to-back days twice in his four appearances during UK?s 4-2 week, which included a series win over No. 10 Vanderbilt in Nashville. The senior from North Battleford, Saskatchewan earned two saves during the week, notching a 1.23 ERA in 7 1/3 innings, allowing only three hits, one run and striking out seven. Albers allowed opponents to hit for a measly .136 average, closing out UK?s two-series clinching wins on Saturday and Sunday with his first two saves of the season and the eighth and ninth career saves.
Albers got Sunday?s series-winning save at No. 10 Vanderbilt, coming on in a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth inning with UK nursing a 3-1 lead. Immediately educed an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam, then proceeded to throw a perfect bottom of the ninth, striking out two in the final frame. In Saturday?s win at Vandy, Albers came on with one out and runners on first and second, getting out of the jam with two outs, finishing of the game with two scoreless innings for his first save of the season. On Tuesday at Louisville, Albers came in during a tie game, with one-out and a runner on first in the eighth inning, immediately inducing an inning-ending double play. In front of a school-record crowd at Western Kentucky, Albers emerged from the bullpen in the seventh with a 2-1 UK lead and a runner on first. Albers got UK out of the jam, tossing two perfect inning with three strikeouts, getting the first two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, working a 1-2 count on the final hitter, before handing the ball over to Scott Green who threw one pitch to get the save.
In his last three appearances, a span of 6 1/3 innings, Albers has not allowed a run.
On the year, Albers has a 2.17 ERA, and a 6-2 record, striking out 40 in 37.1 innings. Throw out one bad appearance at Auburn on March 22 (3.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB) and Albers has a 6-1 record, a 1.59 ERA (six earned runs), two saves, and a 36-8 strikeout-walk ratio in 34 innings.
The honor marks the second consecutive SEC weekly honor for the 17th-ranked Wildcats, as junior centerfielder Collin Cowgill was the SEC Player of the Week a week ago. Sawyer Carroll was earlier named SEC Player of the Week after spanning four consecutive games with home runs. Cowgill and Carroll ? UK?s two National Player of the Year candidates – have each named National Player of the Week on separate occasions during the season.
Kentucky (33-11, 11-10 SEC) returns to action on Wednesday with a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup with the Marshall Thundering Herd at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
