Pitts and Marks on Award Watch List
March 08, 2008 | Baseball
March 8, 2008
HOUSTON, Texas - University of Louisville pitchers Zack Pitts and Justin Marks have been named to the preliminary watch list for the fifth annual Roger Clemens Award. This marks the second consecutive season that Pitts has been so honored. Louisville is one of 12 teams nationally with multiple selections.
Pitts, a senior righty from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, has already accumulated a number of preseason accolades.
Selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year and one of two unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST selections, he was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason All-American Second Team and Louisville Slugger Third Team as selected by Collegiate Baseball.
Pitts is 2-0 in two starts this season with a 0.73 ERA, allowing just one run on eight hits in 12.1 innings. He has struck out 13, while opponents are batting just .186 against him.
Last season he was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-BIG EAST, while posting a school record-tying 10 wins, adding a 2.52 ERA while tossing a record 121.2 innings. He ranks third in U of L history with a 3.58 ERA entering the 2008 season.
He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 30th round of the 2007 MLB Draft.
Marks, a left-handed pitcher from Owensboro, Ky., (Owensboro Catholic) has also earned his share of honors early in his career.
He was also a selection to the preseason All-BIG EAST first team selection after being named to the Louisville Slugger, PING! and Rivals.com Freshman All-American teams following last season.
His post-season resume also included 2007 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, and Second Team All-BIG EAST honors.
He is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two starts in 2008, allowing two runs on five hits and limiting opponents to a .147 average.
Marks was 9-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 18 starts, jumping into the weekend rotation as a freshman. He struck out 87 in 104.2 innings pitched and limited opponents to a BIG EAST low .189 batting average.
Both players were also selected to the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List, presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year.
