The University of Akron Athletics
JT Brubaker, Jon Pusateri, John Valek III - Baseball
Starting pitchers junior LHP John Valek III (Parkland, Fla. / Stoneman Douglas), junior RHP JT Brubaker (New Carlisle, Ohio / Tecumseh) and redshirt senior RHP Jon Pusateri (Randolph, Ohio / Waterloo) have been named Zips' Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of March 30 for their performances in a three-game series against Toledo over the weekend.
In the Zips' second consecutive Mid-American Conference series win, Valek, Brubaker and Pusateri combined for 23 total innings pitched without an earned run. In their 23 innings pitched, the trio held the Rockets to just 11 total hits. Each of the three pitchers tied or set a new single game career record for strikeouts as they posted 24 total on the weekend. The 24 strikeouts came with just three walks for an 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. They led the pitching staff to hold Toledo to a .170 batting average on the weekend.
Individually, Valek hurled 8.0 innings and posted a career-high 10 strikeouts to lead all three starters. The southpaw allowed just three hits and walked one on Saturday.
Junior right-handed pitcher Brubaker also threw 8.0 innings for the Zips to tie his career-high innings pitched. He allowed just two hits, the fewest of the three starters, and fanned a career-high seven batters while walking two in game one on Sunday. Brubaker also earned MAC East Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance.
Pusateri, a redshirt senior right-hander, tossed a career-high 7.0 innings allowing six hits while tying his career-high mark of seven strikeouts for the second consecutive outing. Pusateri did not walk a batter and picked up his third win of the season in the series finale on Sunday. He currently leads the pitching staff with a 2.10 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched.
