Opsahl named GPAC Pitcher-of-the-Week
MITCHELL, S.D. – After losing by a single run in the first game of a doubleheader with Briar Cliff University last week, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team needed a solid performance in the second game to grab the momentum and win game two to avoid the sweep.
MITCHELL, S.D. – After losing by a single run in the first game of a doubleheader with Briar Cliff University last week, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team needed a solid performance in the second game to grab the momentum and win game two to avoid the sweep.
Backed by a solid defense and some clutch hits, Ethan Opsahl came through with his biggest performance on the mound so far this season. The senior left-handed pitcher struck out nearly half the batters he faced and gave up a single run on five hits to help the Tigers to a 2-1, eight-inning win.
For his performance, Opsahl has been named the Great Plains Athletic Conference Pitcher-of-the-Week, it was announced by the league Tuesday afternoon. The honor is the first this season for Opsahl, who is in his fourth season at Dakota Wesleyan.
Opsahl was impressive on the mound in DWU's extra-innings win against Briar Cliff. He struck out 15 of the 33 batters he faced, including all three batters in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Tigers hold on for the win. That is just two shy of the school's single game strikeout record of 17 batters, set in 2006 by Ben Jukich. Opsahl gave up one unearned run on five hits and walked three batters.
Opsahl, a Twin Valley, Minn., native, is 5-3 so far this season. He has thrown a league-high 54 innings, and also leads the GPAC with 58 total strikeouts and an average 9.67 strikeouts per game. He has thrown five complete games, and his opponents have a batting average of .230.
Opsahl and Dakota Wesleyan are back in action Friday, April 13, at 5 p.m. when they take on Northwestern College in a GPAC doubleheader in Orange City, Iowa. The Tigers are back at home for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday, April 15, when they host Midland University. DWU is currently 14-26 overall and 3-5 in the league.