SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. --- Tusculum College junior John-Austin Shepard has been named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Division II Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week announced officials Wednesday.

The Haymarket, Va. reliever recorded a pair of wins and tied a program record with his eighth save as he led Tusculum to a 3-1 record last week. For his efforts, he was also named the South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Week.

The 2012 All-SAC and All-Region selection did not allow a run in his 7.1 innings of work. He limited the opposition to a .087 batting average, surrendering just a pair of singles, while walking one and striking out a dozen.

In Tusculum's 6-3 win over regional foe Young Harris, he retired all five batters he would face to secure his SAC-leading eighth save, which ties the mark he posted last year.

In Tusculum's 10-4 series opening win at Lenoir-Rhyne, Shepard came aboard in a 4-4 game with a runner aboard and one out. He got out of the jam with a fly out and strikeout. He pitched 2.2 innings as he allowed a hit and fanned four.

TC rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a 4-run sixth inning to defeat Lenoir-Rhyne 4-3 to win the series. Shepard picked up his fourth win of the year as he tossed three shutout innings as he surrendered a hit, a walk and posted five more strikeouts.

On the season, he has a 4-1 record and has lowered his ERA to 1.83 which is the second lowest in the league this season. He has also recorded 44 strikeouts in his 34.1 innings of work and is limiting the opposition to hit .197 against him.

- NCBWA -