PNW’s Flessner Named NCBWA Division II National Pitcher of the Week
DALLAS – Just three days after earning the program’s first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Baseball Pitcher of the Week honor, Purdue Northwest junior Kyle Flessner (Thomasboro, Ill./Kankakee CC/Rantoul Township) made history again. Flessner was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II National Pitcher of the Week award winner when the national organization based out of Dallas, Texas, released the recognition Thursday.
On Saturday, April 7, Flessner struck out a program record 16 batters to fuel a one-hit shutout for PNW in a 5-0 win over Wayne State (Mich.) in game one of a doubleheader at Dowling Park in Hammond, Ind. He earned his first victory of the season (1-2) with the impressive outing striking out 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and cruising through the first six innings of the opener. Flessner did not give up a hit in the game until two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and also issued one walk in the sixth inning.
“What a huge honor for Kyle and for the Purdue Northwest baseball program,” said PNW baseball coach Dave Griffin. “There are so many talented pitchers at the NCAA Division II level and when you are recognized as the top one for the week by the NCBWA, that is a really big accomplishment.”
Purdue Northwest (10-13 overall/3-9 GLIAC) hosts a four-game GLIAC series with Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) in Hammond, Ind., this weekend. The first game is scheduled for a doubleheader and begins on Friday, April 13, at 1 p.m. CT at Albert’s Diamond Jewelers Field in Dowling Park.