April 21, 2008

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Sophomore right-handed pitcher Brian Streilein (Staten Island, N.Y.) has been named the Philadelphia Big Five Baseball Pitcher of the Week, it was announced today. Streilein earns the honor for the first time in his career after pitching 7 1/3 innings of five-hit baseball to defeat Louisville this past weekend.

In his fifth conference start of the season, Streilein quieted a Cardinal offense that had scored 12 runs in each of the first two games of a three-game series and helped Villanova avoid a three-game sweep with a 3-1 victory on Sunday at Jim Patterson Stadium. Streilein allowed one earned run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, walking four and striking out five.

After throwing 47 pitches through the first two innings and allowing a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second inning, Streilein pitched efficient baseball into the late innings of the game and allowed more than one base runner in an inning just once after the second.

Through the first five weekends of conference play Streilein has emerged as a dominant force in the Wildcat starting rotation. He lowered his ERA against conference opponents to a team-best 2.95 with his start against Louisville. In five league starts, Streilein is 2-1 and has walked 13 and struck out 29 in 36 2/3 innings pitched.

The only other Big Five honor for Villanova this season came on April 7, when junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) was named Player of the Week.

The Wildcats are currently 18-20 overall this season and 5-10 in Big East play. Villanova plays midweek games this week at Temple on Tuesday and at home against Saint Joseph's on Wednesday. The Wildcats then go on the road this coming weekend for a three-game series at the University of South Florida.