After frustrating Michigan hitters on Friday for eight innings, Christian Coppola has been recognized for his stellar outing. The Rutgers starter was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
Last week, he made the first Friday start of his career and was nearly unhittable. Coppola struck out 12 batters and allowed five hits in eight innings of work. He did not allow an earned run as the Scarlet Knights secured the series win.
After striking out the side to end the seventh at 86 pitches, Coppola returned for the eighth. He added two more strikeouts to his lineup card and finished a 1-2-3 frame on nine pitches.
As a result, his ERA was lowered from 4.26 to 3.24 after the final out was recorded.
Christian Coppola. 8 shutout innings. 12 strikeouts.
'nuff said. pic.twitter.com/x5c9EhPlm9
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 15, 2023
A native of Galloway, N.J., Coppola is the third Scarlet Knight to earn the honors this season. Jake Marshall and Ben Gorski shared the honor on March 13 after combining for a no-hitter at Georgia Southern.
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In his first season with the Scarlet Knights, Coppola is becoming a valuable piece. On Friday, he showed why he has a promising future and why that won’t be the last time he is asked to take the ball for Rutgers when the lights shine the brightest.
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