One-Hitter Earns Stephan SEC Pitcher of the Week
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior right-handed pitcher Trevor Stephan was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week today, as it was announced by the Southeastern Conference office. Stephan threw a complete game one-hitter over seven innings Saturday against Tennessee, helping Arkansas split the two-game series with the Volunteers with a 2-0 victory.
This is the second player of the week honor for an Arkansas player this season and the first for Stephan in his career. Even though the series with the Vols was shortened to two games due to inclement weather, Stephan came up clutch with his performance on the mound, striking out 11 batters, with just one hit and two walks in seven innings. The last Hog pitcher to throw a one-hitter was Brett Eibner in 2009 against top-ranked Georgia.
The outing was Stephan’s third with 10 or more strikeouts this season and his most since striking out 13 against Rhode Island on March 10.
It also marked 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 has been a solid arm 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.
On Saturday against the Vols, eight of his 11 strikeouts came in the first four innings, including striking out the side in the first and third innings. 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.
For the year, Stephan is holding a 3.14 ERA over 63 innings. His 22 earned runs allowed ties him with Blaine Knight for the lowest on the team and his 50 hits allowed is the lowest among Hog starters with 40 or more innings pitched. His 82 strikeouts is tied for sixth-most in the league and his 11.71 strikeouts per nine innings is the second-most in the SEC.
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.
It will be Senior Weekend for Razorback seniors Alex Gosser, Josh Alberius, Dominic Taccolini, Jake Arledge, and Cannon Chadwick. All seniors will be honored prior to the second game of the series on May 13.
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