Caleb Graham
After helping lead Memphis to its first Conference USA series victory of the season, freshman IF Jacob Wilson has been named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week. The Pitcher of the Week honor is being shared by Southern Miss sophomore RHP Todd McInnis and UCF senior Caleb Graham, both of whom pitched gems on the road this past weekend.
Wilson was the team leader in the Tigers’ first C-USA series win of the season, hitting .455 (5-for-11) with a team-best 1.000 slugging percentage, a .500 on-base percentage, 11 total bases, five runs scored and four RBI. The freshman collected two singles, a double, a triple and homered to help Memphis win the series versus Southern Miss. He hit safely in all three games, including falling a home run shy of the cycle in a 3-for-4 effort in Saturday’s 16-6 series-clinching win. He drove in three RBI and scored three more in the game. Wilson capped the weekend with his fourth home run of the year on Sunday. In addition to a strong weekend at the plate, Wilson was perfect in the field with seven assists and three putouts.
McInnis had his best outing this season at Memphis on Sunday, striking out a career high 11 hitters, while allowing only four hits in eight innings of work without walking anyone. He allowed only five runners to reach base all game, facing only four hitters over the minimum in eight complete innings. He allowed only one run, a solo home run in the eighth inning, while picking up his seventh win of the season.
Graham put together his finest collegiate outing at No. 2 Rice May 8, pitching 6.1 shutout innings in a 5-0 victory. The Owls failed to get more than one runner on base through the first five innings. Graham completed his night by not walking a batter and striking out two, and he has hurled at least 6.0 innings in each of his last three starts. The win for the Knights marked the second time in school history they defeated a program ranked in the top two in the country, as they defeated No. 2 LSU 6-5 on Feb. 15, 2004, in Orlando. Meanwhile, it was the first time since a 5-0 triumph vs. No. 24 Clemson on Jan. 30, 2000, that the Black and Gold shut out a ranked opponent.
