Zack Thompson Named Second-Team All-SEC
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky junior left-hander Zack Thompson has been named Second-Team All-Southeastern Conference, the league announced on Monday.
Thompson also is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy, each of which is given to the nation’s top player.
Thompson was dominant on the mound this season, posting a 6-1 record and 2.40 earned run average in 14 starts. In 90.0 innings he has allowed just 59 hits and 34 walks while striking out 130 batters. He has held opposing hitters to just a .184 batting average and ranks 11th nationally in strikeouts per nine inning with 13.00.
In Southeastern Conference play, Thompson was even better against a schedule that has seen the Cats play seven ranked teams. He went 5-1 record with a 2.27 ERA while striking out 93 batters in 67.1 innings. He had two complete game victories, opponents have hit just .183 against him and he had 10 more strikeouts looking than any other pitcher in the league.
The Selma, Indiana native was named National Pitcher of the Week by both Perfect Game and the National College Baseball Writers Association, as well as SEC Pitcher of the Week, after posting a complete game shutout victory over No. 4 Georgia on March 29. In that game, Thompson struck out a career-high 13 batters and allowing only two infield hits in the first complete game of his career while throwing a career-high 124 pitches.
He also pitched a complete game in a road win at Florida where he allowed just one unearned run to the Gators. Overall, he has logged 10 straight quality starts (6.0 innings, three or fewer earned runs).
The preseason All-America and All-SEC southpaw also became the 14th players in school history to reach 200 career strikeouts and currently ranks 18th among all active Division I pitchers (min. 75 innings) with 12.26 strikeouts per nine innings. He also ranks 21st among active pitchers in allowing just 6.09 hits per nine innings for his career.
Thompson ranks third on UK’s career strikeouts list with 268 and second on the single-season list with 130, which is a new record for a left-handed pitcher.
