By: Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
TUCSON, Arizona – Texas A&M left-handed pitcher Jacob Palisch was named one of Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week powered by Diamond Sports.
No one in the SEC pitched longer in high-leverage situations on the weekend than Palisch, including the league’s pitcher of the week. He worked 6.0 innings of relief in the Aggies’ two victories over No. 3 Arkansas to pick up a pair of saves and earn one of 15 National Player of the Week spots bestowed by Collegiate Baseball.
Palisch worked 5.1 innings with the Aggies’ clinging to one-run leads. In each game, Arkansas had the tying run at third and go-ahead run at second with no outs, but were unable to score with Palisch striking out five of the seven batters he faced in the situation with one intentional walk and an inning-ending fly out. His 10 strikeouts were the second-highest tally in the league for the week, while issuing just one intentional week.
In Friday’s 2-1 victory over the Razorbacks, Palisch picked up a rare four-inning save, scattering two hits and one intentional walk while equaling a career high with seven strikeouts. Arkansas had runners at second and third with no outs in the seventh inning, but Palisch struck out a pair of Razorbacks and after issuing an intentional walk he induced an inning-ending fly out. He finished the game by retiring all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings, including three strikeouts.
Palisch worked the last two innings of Sunday’s 11-10 series-clinching win over Arkansas. Up by one run in the eighth inning with runners at second and third and no outs, he struck out the first three batters in the Razorbacks’ lineup. In the ninth inning, Palisch needed just 12 pitches to carve up the meat of the order with two fly outs and a groundout.
On the season, Palisch is 3-3 with three saves, a 3.12 ERA, .233 opponent batting average and 46 strikeouts in 34.2 innings.