After pitching a four-hit complete game Friday night against the CSUN Matadors, junior lefthander Will Dennis (Saratoga, Calif.) has been named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, announced Monday morning by the conference office.
Dennis scattered four hits, including a solo home run in the seventh inning, as he kept the Redhawks close to the Matadors throughout the opening game of the weekend series. Of the 98 pitches he threw over the nine innings, 76 of them were strikes, as he did not allow more than one CSUN baserunner to reach base in any inning.
Friday’s outing was the second straight quality start for Dennis, as he defeated Saint Mary’s on Feb. 13 by allowing seven hits, one walk, and one run in six innings of work in the season opener. He leads the team and is sixth in the WAC with a 1.20 earned run average, plus he is tied for third in the league with 12 strikeouts and 10th in lowest opponent batting average at .196.
“Will is our workhorse and is off to a great start for us in his first two outings. Hopefully our younger arms can continue to learn from his example of professionalism,” Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel said.
Dennis served mostly as a setup man during his freshman season, posting a 2-0 record with one save and a 2.78 earned run average. Last season, he started the year as the team’s closer, earning two saves, before moving into the weekend rotation after an eight-inning relief performance at Sacramento State on April 5. Dennis finished the 2014 season with a 6-5 record and a 3.25 earned run average, including a complete game shutout at North Dakota April 26.
This is the third time a Seattle U pitcher has earned the WAC Pitcher of the Week Award since the Redhawks joined the conference. Andrew Olson received the honor on April 22, 2013, and Connor Moore picked up the award on Feb. 17, 2014.
Seattle University will look to get back on the winning track this weekend as it travels to Cary, N.C., for the USA Baseball-Irish Classic, to be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Redhawks are scheduled to face Richmond Friday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m. Eastern time, Notre Dame Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. local time, and Cincinnati Sunday, March 1, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time.