Hill Garners Two National Player of the Week Citations

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) was named a national Player of the Week by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball Weekly for his performance last week vs. Notre Dame (April 30) and Ohio State (May 4). Hill struck out 17 batters in nine innings during the week and he had four assists (four 1-3 plays and two were bunts) so he accounted for 21 of the 27 outs.

Hill

Hill opened the week with a "tuneup" two-inning start vs. nationally ranked Notre Dame in front of more than 2,000 fans in Fifth Third Ballpark -- home of the West Michigan Whitecaps in Grand Rapids, Mich. -- and he fanned all six batters he faced in a game eventually won by the Irish, 7-4.

In the first game of Saturday's Big Ten doubleheader, Hill tossed a three-hitter and fanned 11 in seven innings in a 5-4 win for ninth place Michigan which knocked Ohio State out of first place. It was Hill's sixth straight Big Ten complete game.

Hill opened the game with four strikeouts vs. Ohio State, giving him 10 consecutive strikeouts over the two games. He fanned six while retiring the first 10 Buckeyes and did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. OSU scored twice in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4, but Hill was strong enough to strik eout the side to close out the win.

Hill became the seventh pitcher in Wolverine history to record 200 career strikeouts with his second whiff vs. Notre Dame and he finished the weekend with 215 strikeouts. He is tied for fourth on the all-time Wolverine strikeout list with Pete Helt (215, 1970-73).

He started the week outside the top 10 on Michigan's single-season strikeout list and moved up to sixth with 90 (in 63 innings). Hill, who has led Michigan in strikeouts in each of his three seasons, leads the Big Ten in overall strikeouts. He needs 10 strikeouts to become only the third Wolverine to strike out 100 in a season, and the record is 119 by former Major League lefty Jim Burton (119, 1970). The other Wolverine with 100 Ks in a season is Fritz Fisher with 105 strikeouts in 1962.

Hill is 3-5 with a 3.57 ERA in overall action and in Big Ten play he is 3-3 with a team-leading 2.77 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 39 innings. He has fanned 11 or more batters three times in 2002, including a season-high 15 in nine innings at Texas-San Antonio (March 9).

The Wolverines (16-28, 10-14 Big Ten) are scheduled to play at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday (May 8, 7 p.m.) before traveling to Northwestern in Big Ten action this weekend (May 10-12).

Official Sites: Collegiate Baseball | Baseball Weekly

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

Hill Garners Two National Player of the Week Citations

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