By Mike Walsh
Correspondent
Illinois State baseball player Derek Salata was chosen a National Pitcher of the Week by Collegiate Baseball News for the period ending March 27.
In a 2-0 loss to Missouri Valley Conference foe Belmont on the road March 24, the fifth-year senior worked six innings, striking out 11 Bruins while walking three and allowing five hits.
The Nazareth graduate gave up one run, which was unearned. For his efforts, Salata was one of five pitchers lauded by the publication and the only player from the MVC.
The right-hander is the sixth Redbird with three or more outings with 10 strikeouts or more in a single season and the first since 2019. Among those ISU pitchers also on the list are former White Sox reliever Neal Cotts (2001) and Sandburg graduate Brian Forystek (2000).
Salata is 2-2 this season, placing him in a three-way tie for the Redbird lead in victories. He is first on the team in ERA (2.67), innings pitched (33 2/3) and strikeouts (47). The third player in Redbirds history to receive a National Player/Pitcher of the Week plaudit, Salata has made six appearances (all starts) with 11 walks and 10 earned runs allowed. The opposition is batting .240 against him.
Man of Carmel
Roosevelt University’s Diego Munoz was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week in baseball for the timeframe ending March 5.
Munoz, who prepped at Mount Carmel, was 6-for-9 at the plate in two games with a slugging percentage of 1.444. In a 7-2 setback to visiting Wisconsin-Parkside on March 1, the senior third baseman went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and a run scored.
Four days later in a 12-5 win over Lawrence Tech, Munoz was 3-for-5 with a double, triple, three RBI and three runs scored.
It is Munoz’s first weekly award.
On the season, Munoz has appeared in 20 games for the Lakers, who are 17-10 overall. Munoz is batting .353 with a .408 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .588. He leads Roosevelt in doubles (7) and is tied for the team lead in triples with three. Munoz also is fourth in RBI (21) and has one home run. He is tied for third in total bases with 40.
Fly Like an Eagle
Two Marist alumni are having successful sophomore seasons on the softball diamond for Boston College.
Pitcher Abby Dunning leads the Eagles pitching staff (17-17) in ERA (3.31), batting average against (.201), winning percentage (.583), wins (7), saves (2), strikeouts (94), appearances (20) and earned runs allowed (32).
Outfielder Kali Case has started all 34 games for the Eagles. She is fourth in batting average (.277), hits (26) and total bases (28). Case is tied for the team lead in stolen bases (7), tied for second in runs scored (16) and fifth in slugging percentage (.298).
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