MIAC Athletes of the Week

WINONA, Minn. — R.J. Brown (Broadview, Ill.) has enjoyed a stellar start to his junior year as a member of the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team.
 
A win in his first start of the season—allowing three runs on five hits in four innings against Milwaukee School of Engineering on Feb. 26—followed by a no-decision in start No. 2, despite a second straight three-runs-on-five-hits performance in 5 1/3 innings against Alma on March 3.
 
Yet, as impressive as Brown's early season numbers have been, they paled in comparison to what the junior right-hander accomplished in his third start of the season.
 
Brown put together the best pitching performance of his collegiate career last Friday, tossing a seven-inning no-hitter in leading the Cardinals to a 10-0 win over Aurora.
 
And that effort did not go unnoticed, as Brown was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

Brown allowed just three base runners—two via Cardinal errors and the other on a second-inning hit batter—in posting Saint Mary's first no-hitter in more than two decades.

Brown struck out six, did not surrender a walk, and faced just 24 batters. The junior right-hander induced the Spartans into 12 fly-ball outs and three groundouts.

For the season, Brown owns a 2-0 record and 3.31 ERA in a team-high 16.1 innings. He leads the team with 18 strikeouts and has went four or more innings in all three of his starts this season.
 
The Cardinals (8-5 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, when they kick off the home portion of their schedule with a nine-inning nonconference game against Viterbo. First pitch at Max Molock Field is slated for 2 p.m.