CMU's Jake Sabol earns share of MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors

By Anthony Fenech, Senior Reporter || April 05, 2011

Jake Sabol has done it once.

“Now if he could only do it eight or nine more times,” joked Central Michigan head coach Steve Jaksa.

On Sunday, the senior right-hander threw a six-hit shutout, striking out four and walking one in the Chippewas 9-0 defeat of Ohio.

On Tuesday, he was named Mid-American Conference West Pitcher of the Week.

“It always feels good to be recognized individually,” Sabol said. “It was one of my goals at the beginning of the year to get one of those awards.”

The shutout and weekly award were both firsts in Sabol’s collegiate career.

“He really deserved it,” Jaksa said. “He pitched one heck of a game.”

Sabol allowed only one Bobcats runner to reach scoring position in the first six innings, completed the second game and won the third MAC game of his collegiate career. He is 2-2 with a 4.19 ERA in 34-plus innings this year, recording 21 strikeouts to six walks.

Sabol throws five pitches: two fastballs, a sinker, changeup and slider, with his fastball sitting around 90 miles per hour.

He models his pitching off Roy Halliday of the Philadelphia Phillies and Derek Lowe, a Michigan native and opening day starting pitcher of the Atlanta Braves.

“I like to throw a lot of sinkers,” he said. “To get contact and keep the guys behind me inside the game.”

In his career, Sabol has a 6.28 ERA in 37 appearances, pitching 91-plus innings.

He shared the weekly award with Cal Bowling of Ball State.

“Anytime you throw a shutout in our conference, it’s going to get noticed,” Jaksa said.