May. 2, 2005

KINGSTON, R.I. - University of Rhode Island junior pitcher Zack Zuercher (Warwick, R.I.) was named Atlantic 10 Baseball Pitcher of the Week for the second-straight week.

Zuercher didn't earn a win, but he did pitch 9 1/3 scoreless innings in the Rams 1-0, 11-inning victory in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with Saint Joseph's. He allowed four hits, walked three and struck out 11 for his 12th double-digit strikeout game in 21 starts in a Rhody uniform.

He now owns the school record with 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, passing senior teammate Mike Harris (Old Bethpage, N.Y.), who had 18 1/3 in 2002.

Zuercher had pitched his school-record fifth collegiate shutout on April 23 against St. Bonaventure to earn the A10 Pitcher of the Week award last week. Zuercher is 3-1 in Atlantic 10 play and has fanned 63 batters in 42 conference innings.

This is the third Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week honor of the season for Zuercher, who also received the award three times last season, when he was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year. In 14 Atlantic 10 starts over the past two seasons, Zuercher is 9-2 with 10 complete games, four shutouts and 150 strikeouts.

The defending Atlantic 10 regular-season champion Rams have won 10-straight games and 16 of the last 17 after completing a sweep of Saint Joseph's on Monday. The Rams clinched their third-straight Atlantic 10 Tournament berth and are 24-15 overall and 15-3 in the Atlantic 10, leading the East Division by two games over Fordham.

Fordham visits Kingston this weekend in a showdown that could lead to Rhody clinching its third-straight Atlantic 10 East Division title if they can take two of the three games.