MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After hurling a complete-game shutout in a win over No. 1 Vanderbilt on Friday night, Kentucky junior right-hander Alex Meyer has been named Pro-Line Athletic National Pitchers of the Week, it was announced by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Meyer was one of three players honored by the NCBWA in its weekly national honors. Michigan State senior first baseman Jeff Holm earned National Hitter of the Week honors, while Meyer and Texas State junior righty Carson Smith were named Co-National Pitchers of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the year.
A native of Greensburg, Ind., Meyer hurled his second complete-game shutout of the year on Friday, coming in a matchup with Vandy ace righty Sonny Gray that was billed as the two top starting pitchers in college baseball. Meyer tossed his best start of the year, going nine innings, allowing only five singles and one walk, striking out five in an efficient performance.
The complete-game was Meyer’s SEC-leading fourth of the year for the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder. Meyer pitched UK to the win over top-ranked Vandy, the first win over a No. 1-ranked team since UK upset David Price, Casey Weathers, Ryan Flaherty and Pedro Alvarez-led Commodores in Lexington in 2007. Meyer shut down the red-hot Dores, who entered the series leading the SEC in batting average, average in SEC games and on-base percentage, ranking second in runs scored.
Meyer, who leads the SEC with 96 strikeouts, needed just 110 pitches for the complete-game outing, with Vandy not getting a runner to second base until the seventh frame. He threw 72 strikes and tossed first-pitch strikes to 17 hitters, facing only four batters above the minimum and facing the minimum through his first six frames. Meyer allowed only five singles in the game in the first shutout surrendered by the Dores since 2010 vs. South Carolina.
In his junior year, Meyer has struck out an SEC-leading 96 in 87.2 innings, owning a 2.98 ERA in 12 starts, allowing only 66 hits and a .220 opponent batting average. Of the 66 hits he has allowed, only 11 have come as extra-base knocks. The gem was his eighth quality start of the year for Meyer, who owns a 1.71 ERA in his eight quality starts and a 1.67 ERA in his last four outings. Meyer has fanned 239 in 197.1 career innings, ranking sixth in UK career annals.
Meyer was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday, the second conference pitcher of the week accolade for the junior in 2011. The national pitcher of the week accolade is the third of Meyer’s junior season, as he was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week after striking out 13 in a start on opening weekend and the College Baseball Foundation honored him after he posted a complete-game win over No. 12 Arkansas on April 23.
Kentucky (21-27, 5-19 Southeastern Conference) will return to action on Tuesday, hosting Indiana at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The game will be televised live on the Big Blue Sports Network, with Dick Gabriel (play-by-play), MLB Gold Glover Doug Flynn (color) and Ryan Lemond (sideline) calling the action. The telecast can be found on FSN South (Insight-Lexington channel 52) and in Central Kentucky on CWKYT-TV (Insight-Lexington channel 5). The game will also be broadcast live on BBSN, with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action. Fans in Central Kentucky can hear the game live on WLAP 630-AM, in Louisville on WKJK 1080-AM and online at UKathletics.com.
Pro-Line Athletic, owned by Badger Sport, supplies caps and uniforms to several D-1 college baseball teams, and this is the seventh season Pro-Line has sponsored the NCBWA’s Players of the Week. For more information about Pro-Line and Badger, visit their web sites at: www.badgersport.com and www.prolinecap.com Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association’s official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.
For more information, contact NCBWA Executive Assistant Director Mike Montoro (304-293-2821, mike.montoro@mail.wvu.edu).
2011 WINNERS:
Pro-Line Athletic Hitter of the Week – Feb. 22 – David Herbek, SS, James Madison; March 1 – Corben Green, INF, Louisiana-Monroe; March 7 – Anthony Trajano, INF, Cal State Fullerton; March 14 – Dusty Quattlebaum, 1B/DH, Gardner-Webb; March 21 – Saxon Butler, 1B, Samford; March 28 – Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina; April 5 – Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern; April 12 – Brad Miller, SS, Clemson & Doug Bream, OF, Liberty; April 19 – Tyler Ogle, C, Oklahoma; April 26 – D.J. Hicks, DH, UCF and Trenton Moses, 3B, Southeast Missouri State; May 3 – James Brooks, SS, Utah and Clint Moore, SS, Army; May 10 – Jeff Holm, 1B, Michigan State.
Pro-Line Athletic Pitcher of the Week – Feb. 22 – Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas; March 1 – Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia; March 7 – Kyle Fitzpatrick, RHP, Florida International; March 14 – Logan Verrett, RHP, Baylor; March 21 – Frankie Vanderka, RHP, Stony Brook; March 28 – Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA; April 5 – Will Roberts, RHP, Virginia; April 12 – Jeremy Gonzales, RHP, Northern Illinois; April 19 – John Simms, RHP, Rice; April 26 – Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA; May 3 – Josh Osich, LHP, Oregon State; May 10 –
Alex Meyer, RHP, Kentucky and Texas State junior RHP Carson Smith.
