Stratton Earns Second SEC Pitcher Of The Week Honor

STARKVILLE, Miss. - For the second time this season Mississippi State junior Chris Stratton of Tupelo, Miss., has been honored as the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week. MSU junior pitcher Kendall Graveman received the same honor last week.

Stratton (8-0, 2.39) recorded a career-first complete-game shutout in Friday's series-opening 4-0 win over instate SEC rival Ole Miss. Stratton scattered five hits, struck out seven and walked one, the first batter he faced during his efficient 104-pitch outing at Dudy Noble Field. The route-going performance was the second of his career. Stratton went the distance in an 11-7 freshman year win over Tennessee. It was also the second consecutive nine-inning effort by the Bulldog right-hander, who allowed a run on four hits in a no-decision start and extra-inning MSU win over Tennessee April 19.

Stratton leads the Southeastern Conference with eight wins and ranks second in the league with 95 strikeouts and is positioned to become the 17^th MSU pitcher to register 100 strikeouts in a season. He00 was tabbed the SEC Pitcher of the Week March 19 after his amazing 17-strikeout performance at LSU in his first start of the year. He stands ninth among MSU's career strikeouts leaders with 247 amassed in 42 appearances (229.2 innings) over a three-season span.

He joins former MSU pitching standouts Jeff Brantley (1985) and Alan Johnson (2003) as the only MSU hurlers to receive the honor twice in a season. Johnson was so-honored a school-best three times in 2003.

Mississippi State (27-17, 10-11 SEC), after winning its third straight SEC home series over the weekend, travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for a three-game SEC Western Division weekend series against the Crimson Tide (17-28/6-15 SEC). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday on graduation weekend on the UA campus.