April 12, 2011

COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the third time this season and fifth time in her career, redshirt sophomore Chelsea Thomas has been selected as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, as announced Tuesday by the league office. Thomas shares this week's honor with Texas sophomore Blaire Luna. The Pleasantville, Iowa, native earned this award on March 8 and March 29 of this year.

Going 3-0 on the week, Thomas opened up play on Wednesday with a victory over Evansville in the second game of a doubleheader.  The Tiger righty threw four of the five innings in Missouri's 9-1 run-rule victory, striking out six while allowing just one hit and zero walks. She picked up two wins over then-No. 20 Texas A&M this past weekend, throwing two complete games against the Aggies. On Saturday, Thomas scattered five hits, walked four and struck out eight while giving up three earned runs. She followed that up with a shutout on Sunday, tossing seven innings, giving up four hits and striking out nine.

Thomas is now 17-3 on the year with 197 strikeouts to just 22 walks.  Opponents are hitting only .145 against her, and she's posted a nation's best earned run average of 0.67.  In Big 12 action this season, Thomas sits at 6-1 with a 1.01 ERA while striking out 68 to just 10 walks.  Thomas and the Tigers head to Cedar Falls, Iowa on Wednesday for a game against Northern Iowa before returning home this weekend to take on No. 14 Oklahoma.