Monday, April 19, 2010

Valparaiso University’s Bryce Shafer (Wabash, Ind./Northfield H.S.) has earned his second straight Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honor after leading the Crusaders to a victory over Cleveland State on Saturday.

The junior right-hander struck out 14 Vikings and scattered just five hits while not walking a batter in Valpo’s 10-2 win.  Both runs he allowed were unearned as he tallied his first complete game of the season.  Shafer also struck out one of the three hitters he faced in relief against Indiana earlier in the week, as opposing batters hit just .139 against him for the week.

Shafer has not allowed an earned run in his last 18 innings on the hill, and now has a 5-3 record on the season with a 3.98 earned run average.  He leads the Horizon League with 73 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched, with the opposition hitting just .251 against him.

Shafer has moved into a tie for sixth all-time at Valpo with 16 career victories, and now ranks 10th with 217.0 innings pitched.  His 202 career strikeouts are tied for seventh on the school’s all-time charts.

With his second straight weekly honor, Shafer now has four career Pitcher of the Week accolades.

With the weekly honor, Shafer is now eligible for the Horizon League Network’s ‘The People’s Choice honor.  Fans can vote for Shafer by visiting www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv and voting in ‘The People’s Choice’ poll on the right-hand side of the page thru Tuesday afternoon.  He is the reigning people’s choice winner as well.

Valparaiso (16-19) returns to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon as the Crusaders host IPFW at Emory G. Bauer Field.  First pitch is set for 3 p.m. as the Brown and Gold look for its sixth straight victory overall while trying to make it 10 in a row at home.