Hurler Stacy Birk paced Illinois State (29-15-1, 15-6) in four Missouri Valley Conference victories last week, earning Valley Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time. Birks performance helped catapult the Redbirds from fourth to the top of the league standings with two weeks remaining in the regular-season.
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native went 3-0 with a 0.61 ERA over 23 innings, giving up just two runs in her three appearances and striking out 16.
In game one of a three-game series against then league leading Wichita State, Birk held the Shockers to just one run in notching the complete game win for the Redbirds. She struck out four, scattered five his and did not allow a walk.
At the plate, she also went one-for-two in the opener, then served as the designated player in game two against the Shockers. Birk hit a two-run homer to give Illinois State a 3-2 lead it never relinquished that game.
She returned to the circle for the series finale, tossing all nine innings in the shutout, while allowing four hits. With ten strikeouts, Birk established a new season high for strikeouts in a game by a Redbird.
Her only hit of the game, which came in the bottom of the ninth, was the game-winning run.
Against Indiana State, Birk struck out two and allowed five hits in a complete game win. She also went one-for-two at the plate with an RBI.
Birk is 16-4 on the season as Illinois States leading pitcher. She has a 1.71 ERA, having pitched in 32 games. At the plate, the freshman ranks No. 3 in batting average (.288), RBI (16), slugging percentage (.455) and on base percentage (.420).
Birk and the Birds will take on Northern Illinois tomorrow in DeKalb at 5 p.m.
