Rocha Named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week

March 7, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. -- For the third straight week, an Oklahoma Sooner was named one of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Conference's Players of the Week. Senior Michael Rocha was named the pitcher of the week for games played through March 6.

It marked the second career honor for Rocha and the fourth by a Sooner this season (Garrett Buechele named player of the week twice and Jordan John was the newcomer of the week).

Rocha collected the accolade after tossing a complete-game shutout on Thursday, March 3 at San Diego State. The senior captain won his third straight start after allowing just six base runners off five hits and a walk in the nine innings against the Aztecs. He also struck out five batters to lower his ERA on the season to 0.78. Rocha threw a career-high 120 pitches in the game and has thrown seven or more innings in each of his three starts this season. Rocha has 19 strikeouts and two walks in 23 innings pitched and just 13 hits allowed.

Rocha is tied for the Big 12 lead in wins with three and also ranks in the top 10 in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, complete games, shutouts and opponent batting average (.169).

Baylor's Landis Ware and Oklahoma State's Gabe Weidenaar were named the player and newcomer of the week from the conference, respectively.

In 2008, Rocha was also named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on March 3 after tossing a two-hit, eight-inning shutout against Tennessee in the Minute Maid Classic in Houston, Texas.

No. 2 Oklahoma (14-0) returns home to host Arkansas-Little Rock in a three-game series over the weekend (March 11-13). First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. Saturday's game is at 2 p.m. and the series finale gets underway at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Games two and three of the series mark the first of 13 set to be televised by the Sooner Sports Network (Cox Ch. 3 in OKC and Tulsa).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Rocha Named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week

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