Valparaiso University’s Jon Gulbransen (Appleton, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran H.S.) has been named the Horizon League’s Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season after leading the Crusaders to a series-opening victory at Cleveland State on Saturday afternoon.

The sophomore left-hander allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out six in seven scoreless innings against the Vikings in the opener of the three-game weekend set.  Gulbransen earned his fourth victory of the season, already surpassing his win total in all of 2008.

Gulbransen is now 4-3 on the season with a 4.68 earned run average and 34 strikeouts in 42.1 innings of work.

He also earned Pitcher of the Week honors back on March 2 after tossing eight innings of shutout baseball at Arkansas-Little Rock.