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Already earning Third Team All-American honors by Louisville Slugger, Zach Plesac was named the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Plesac (12-2) appeared in 25 games with six starts and one complete game for the Cardinals. With a team-best 2.11 earned run average, the right-hander had 67 strikeouts, six saves and held his opponents to a .238 batting average.
Here's how Plesac compares to other freshman pitchers around the Mid-American Conference:
| APP-GS | CG | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/BB | H | OPP BA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Plesac | 25-6 | 6 | 85.1 | 2.11 | 1.266 | 67/33 | 75 | 0.238 |
| Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) | 14-14 | 1 | 81.2 | 4.08 | 1.420 | 64/26 | 90 | 0.279 |
| Eric Lauer (Kent State) | 15-14 | 0 | 80.0 | 3.26 | 1.175 | 64/36 | 58 | 0.204 |
| Sterling Sharp (Eastern Michigan) | 15-8 | 0 | 56.1 | 4.63 | 1.633 | 29/22 | 70 | 0.306 |