Will Hudgins

Hudgins Named Big East Pitcher of the Week

March 12, 2012

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior RHP Will Hudgins has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Pitcher of the Week, it was announced Monday by the conference office.

Hudgins (Richmond, Va./Douglass Freeman) struck out a career-best 11 in 8.0 shutout innings to lead the Irish to a 2-0 victory over Michigan Saturday afternoon. The 11 strikeouts were the most ever by an Irish pitcher in the 129 all-time meetings with the Wolverines – a series that dates back to 1892.

Hudgins fanned at least two Michigan hitters in each of the first three innings and then struck out the side in the fifth. He did yield eight hits, but three were of the infield variety and Hudgins was at his best with runners on base. Michigan went just 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and the Wolverines stranded eight.

Hudgins, who spent his first three years in an Irish uniform as a middle-to-late-inning reliever, did not issue a walk. He worked into a three-ball count only twice all afternoon and it came in the seventh and eighth inning, respectively. Hudgins threw 110 pitches, including an astounding 86 strikes (nearly 78 percent).

Hudgins is 2-1 on the season with a 1.69 ERA. He has struck out 27 and walked nine in 26.2 innings of work. Hudgins has been at his best over his last two starts. He is 1-1 with a 0.64 ERA with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 14.0 innings.

Notre Dame returns to action against LSU on Mon., Mar. 12 at 6:30 p.m. CT. In-game updates will be available on twitter at @NDBaseball and facebook at NDBaseball while fans can listen to all the action locally on 103.1 FM and on the internet at UND.com.