SAM FOLKS GARNERS OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES
4/5/2021 12:47:00 PM | Baseball
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Two days after helping the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team hurl its first shutout of the 2021 campaign, Sam Folks has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week.
A 5-11, 190-pound southpaw, Folks becomes just the 10th different Skyhawk to earn an OVC Pitcher of the Week nod and first since Dalton Westfall won the award on April 24, 2017.
Folks was simply dominant in his lone appearance of the week, tying season-highs with seven innings and seven strikeouts in a 2-0 victory at Nicholls on Saturday. He conceded just two hits and did not issue a walk, limiting the Colonels to a paltry .091 batting average. It marked UT Martin's first shutout since blanking Morehead State on March 31, 2019.
The Franklin, Tenn. native sat down nine consecutive Nicholls batters during a span that lasted from the first to fourth innings. Both of Folks' hits allowed came with two outs as he finished out his start with 3.1 no-hit innings. That included an efficient eight-pitch effort in the bottom of the sixth and a nine-pitch frame in the seventh – his final inning of work.
Folks improved to 2-2 and lowered his season ERA to 4.84 after the masterful performance. He currently leads the OVC in fewest walks allowed (four) and fewest home runs allowed (zero) while also ranking sixth in strikeouts (36) and 10th in innings pitched (35.1).
For his career, Folks ranks third in school history in games started (38), fifth in strikeouts (182), seventh in innings pitched (232.1) and 10th in appearances (58).
The Skyhawks wrap up a 14-game road swing this week with a Tuesday, April 6 matchup at No. 1 Vanderbilt before visiting OVC foe SIUE for a three-game series on April 9-10.
A 5-11, 190-pound southpaw, Folks becomes just the 10th different Skyhawk to earn an OVC Pitcher of the Week nod and first since Dalton Westfall won the award on April 24, 2017.
Folks was simply dominant in his lone appearance of the week, tying season-highs with seven innings and seven strikeouts in a 2-0 victory at Nicholls on Saturday. He conceded just two hits and did not issue a walk, limiting the Colonels to a paltry .091 batting average. It marked UT Martin's first shutout since blanking Morehead State on March 31, 2019.
The Franklin, Tenn. native sat down nine consecutive Nicholls batters during a span that lasted from the first to fourth innings. Both of Folks' hits allowed came with two outs as he finished out his start with 3.1 no-hit innings. That included an efficient eight-pitch effort in the bottom of the sixth and a nine-pitch frame in the seventh – his final inning of work.
Folks improved to 2-2 and lowered his season ERA to 4.84 after the masterful performance. He currently leads the OVC in fewest walks allowed (four) and fewest home runs allowed (zero) while also ranking sixth in strikeouts (36) and 10th in innings pitched (35.1).
For his career, Folks ranks third in school history in games started (38), fifth in strikeouts (182), seventh in innings pitched (232.1) and 10th in appearances (58).
The Skyhawks wrap up a 14-game road swing this week with a Tuesday, April 6 matchup at No. 1 Vanderbilt before visiting OVC foe SIUE for a three-game series on April 9-10.
Players Mentioned
LHP
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