Rio's Robertson earns MSC Pitcher of the Week award

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Ryan Robertson of the University of Rio Grande has been selected as the Mid-South Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.

The MSC weekly award is the first for Robertson this season.   This is the second time a Rio Grande player has collected an MSC weekly award. Senior third baseman Tyler Schunk won the Player of the Week honor, March 22.

Robertson, a native of Waverly, Ohio, fired a complete-game, two-hit shutout against NAIA No. 21 Campbellsville to earn MSC Pitcher of the Week honors.   Robertson struck out seven and walked only two in the 2-0 victory. He improved to 9-1 on the season. 

The nine wins tie him for first in the conference.  Robertson is fifth in the MSC in innings pitched (58.2) and is seventh in strikeouts (52).

"Ryan throwing a two-hitter in a 1-2 match-up, he faced their No. 2 (starter), he certainly didn't throw like a freshman," said Rio Grande head coach Brad Warnimont. "He's put up some big numbers and we're hoping that we can keep his arm fresh and he can stay hot toward the tail end of the year and hopefully in the post-season."

Warnimont credits Robertson's competitive nature as the key to his success on the diamond. "Ryan loves to compete; he's a guy that's got a mid to upper 80's fastball, but when the game's on the line, it's going to be upper 80's," Warnimont said. "He'll reach back for a little bit and he is growing into his own."

"He's got a linebacker type of mentality and when he's on and he hasn't been off too many times, he's awful tough to hit," Warnimont added. "You put that with the competiveness and it makes for a pretty good combination."

No. 25 Rio Grande is 39-8 overall this season and 19-5 in the MSC. Rio returns to action this weekend with a four-game series on the road at St. Catharine.