Mathews And Mollenhauer Receive National Honor
March 20, 2007 | Baseball
March 20, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Relief pitcher Shane Mathews and shortstop Dale Mollenhauer were named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Monday after helping the No. 22 East Carolina Pirates to their ninth straight win with a sweep of Radford and Michigan last week.
Mathews struck out seven of the 11 batters he faced in 2 2/3 innings and picked up his first win of the season, as the Pirates completed a doubleheader sweep of Michigan 3-2 in 12 innings Saturday. Mathews came on relief of Jason Neitz, who worked 2 1/3 frames against the Wolverines without a hit. He made three total appearances, struck out nine, walked three, did not allow a run, yielded one hit, and had saves against Radford and Michigan.
Mollenhauer batted .412 (7-for-17) while helping the Pirates to a perfect 4-0 week and collecting their ninth consecutive win and 13th of their last 14. In three of the four games played, Mollenhauer had multiple hits - pushing his career total to 51 contests, scored six runs (including the game winner against Michigan in the 12th inning), drove in three runs, walked twice, roped two doubles and was 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts. In the field he recorded five putouts and 18 assists and ranks third all-time in the schools assists record.
The junior duo join fellow classmate T.J. Hose as 2007 recipients of the national honor. Last week Hose, who was named Co-Conference USA Pitcher-of-the-Week, had his best pitching performance of his career Friday, March 9 against No. 7 Cal State Fullerton, setting the tone for the Pirates three-game sweep of the Titans. He picked up his third consecutive win in a 6-1 victory, scattering three hits over seven innings. Hose allowed one run while striking out six batters, four of them looking in seven innings of work. Hose faced 25 batters allowing two runners to reach second base, one coming on a solo home run in the fifth inning, while keeping the Titans hitters in check with a .143 average.
ECU (15-6) will in-state foe High Point Wednesday night at 7 p.m. before starting Conference USA play at Clark-LeClair Stadium this weekend in a three-game series with Memphis.
