Junior Nate Bye tabbed OAC Pitcher of the Week

By Blake Moore

ADA — Junior right-handed pitcher Nate Bye (Thorntown, Ind./Western Boone) has been dubbed the Ohio Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week in baseball for the April 22-28 voting period, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

Last week, Bye helped guide the Polar Bears to a 4-1 overall record and a 3-1 OAC mark with two stellar pitching performances. The Thorntown, Indiana native posted a 2-0 record on the mound with a 0.56 ERA and four strikeouts in a team-high 16.0 innings.

On Monday, the junior surrendered just one earned run and seven hits in seven innings against Marietta. He also recorded four strikeouts in the victory, which led ONU to a critical conference sweep over the Pioneers.

In his appearance against Muskingum, Bye tossed a five-hit shutout for his fourth victory this season. The junior issued just one free pass and threw 62 strikes on 84 total pitches, a 73.8% strike rate, to win his third consecutive start.

With the announcement, Bye receives his first career OAC Pitcher of the Week honor.

The Polar Bears will return to the diamond Wednesday evening for a single nonconference contest against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Anderson (Ind.) at the World Baseball Academy in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch.