KU's Walz Earns Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Honors

May 3, 2010

IRVING, Texas –

Kansas junior right-handed pitcher T.J. Walz has been named the Big 12’s Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 3. This marks the second time Walz has been honored by the conference’s weekly awards, and the first this season.

The junior from Omaha, Neb., struck out a season-high 11 Cowboys and took a no-hitter into the ninth inning to earn his team-leading seventh victory of the season Friday at Oklahoma State. Walz held the team with the second-best batting average in the Big 12 hitless over the first eight innings of action, retiring 13 in a row after a two-out walk in the second. He retired 11 via strikeouts, and 11 more via fly outs in the game.

The junior was charged with two runs in the game after allowing a leadoff single to Davis Duren in the ninth and another hit to Tom Belza before the Kansas bullpen allowed its inherited runners to score. Over his past two starts, Walz has held his opposition to four runs on eight hits over 15 1/3 innings (1.76 ERA) with four walks and 18 strikeouts.

Oklahoma’s Danny Black joins Walz as this week’s Big 12 Weekly award winners. Black was named the Player of the Week.

Kansas will host Border Showdown rival Missouri in a three-game series beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.