Neal Cotts was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week after leading the Illinois State baseball team past nationally-ranked Purdue at the 2001 Austin Peay Baseball Classic Saturday at Clarksville, Tenn.
A junior southpaw, Cotts followed up an 11-strikeout season-opening win at Western Kentucky by tossing a gem in the Redbirds 11-9 victory over No. 25 Purdue in the opening-round of the APSU Classic.
Against Purdue, Cotts went 7.0 innings, allowing only two runs on three hits while striking out seven batters. The Lebanon, Ill., native surrendered the two runs on a fourth-inning homer, one of 15 hit in the three games played at a very windy Raymond C. Hand Park on Saturday.
This isnt the best Neal has pitched this season, but considering the elements and the team he faced (Purdue), it was a great performance, ISU head coach Jeff Stewart said. Neal pitched average, but Neals average is as good as they come.
The Boilermakers, who averaged over eight runs per game in victories against No. 1 Rice and No. 24 Wake Forest the week before, rallied for seven runs in the top of the ninth inning after Cotts was removed. Dave Schoeberlein picked up the save as he closed the door on an 11-9 Redbird victory.
The only two-time pitcher of the week in the Valley last season, Cotts has now garnered the award a school-record three times in his career. In two starts this season, Cotts has posted two victories with a 1.50 earned run average while striking out 18 and allowing only four hits in 12.0 innings of work.
Equally as impressive in the classroom, Cotts is a mainstay on the AFNI Athletics Honor Roll who garnered Valley Scholar-Athlete First Team honors in 2000.
