BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the second time this season, Mississippi State University junior Chris Stratton, of Tupelo, has been honored as the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week.
MSU junior Kendall Graveman received the same honor last week.
Stratton (8-0, 2.39 ERA) recorded his first complete-game shutout Friday in a series-opening 4-0 win against the University of Mississippi. He scattered five hits, struck out seven and walked one, the first batter he faced during his efficient 104-pitch outing at Dudy Noble Field. The performance was the second of his career. Stratton went the distance in an 11-7 freshman year win over Tennessee.
Stratton leads the SEC in wins and is second in the league with 95 strikeouts. He is positioned to become the 17th MSU pitcher to register 100 strikeouts in a season. He was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week March 19 after a 17-strikeout performance at LSU in his first start of the year. He is ninth among MSU’s career strikeouts leaders with 247 amassed in 42 appearances (229 2/3 innings) in a three-season span.
Stratton joins former MSU pitching standouts Jeff Brantley (1985) and Alan Johnson (2003) as the only MSU hurlers to receive the honor twice in a season. Johnson was so-honored a school-best three times in 2003.
MSU (27-17, 10-11 SEC) will play the University of Alabama (17-28, 6-15) in a three-game series this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Game one will be 6:30 p.m. Friday, The teams will play at 2 p.m. Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
n In related news, a third-straight home SEC series win last weekend has pushed MSU back into the national rankings.
MSU is ranked 29th in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll, the oldest of the nation’s college baseball polls.
Baylor University (38-8), coached by former MSU assistant coach Steve Smith, heads up this week’s Collegiate Baseball national rankings, which includes the No. 3 University of Kentucky, the No. 4 University of South Carolina, No. 5 LSU, the No. 8 University of Florida, and the No. 13 University of Arkansas.
MSU was ranked in the top 25 by Baseball America and in the ESPN/USA Today polls in back-to-back weeks in March.
n In other news, former MSU first baseman Tyler Moore (2008) was called up by the Washington Nationals late Saturday night.
Moore is the 48th baseball player with MSU ties to play or to coach at professional baseball’s highest levels. He started Sunday night in Los Angeles. The Brandon native and former Meridian (Miss.) Community College standout started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a single in his second at-bat.
Moore, who hit .299 in 2008 and paced MSU with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs, had hit 84 home runs in four seasons of minor league baseball at the time of his call-up.
Catcher Craig Tatum (Cincinnati, 2009), first baseman Mitch Moreland (Texas, 2010) and pitcher Alan Johnson (Colorado, 2011) are the other former MSU players who have made their MLB debuts in the last four years.
Moore joins five other former Bulldogs active on the Major League level — pitcher Paul Maholm (Chicago Cubs), first base coach Chris Maloney (St. Louis Cardinals), first baseman Mitch Moreland (Texas Rangers), pitcher Jonathan Papelbon (Philadelphia Phillies), and manager Nat Showalter (Baltimore Orioles).
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