UWM Names Pitcher of the Week

The UWM Men’s baseball team almost saw its first no-hitter in program history recently. A shutout victory versus Valparaiso on April 18 earned one player some recognition. Cody Peterson’s display of solid pitching earned him title of Pitcher of the Week, an honor that does not often go to a UW-Milwaukee player.

Peterson, a junior from Burlington, Wisconsin, pitched the entire nine innings giving up merely one insignificant hit to his opponents. The right-hander said his concentration throughout the game helped his team win the game.

“After losing the first game of the series, I knew we needed someone to step up and I had to do my job on the mound. I think my focus throughout the game and being able to throw all my pitches for strikes were the most important thing,” Peterson said.

The Panthers ended the series with a 2-1 record, having not let up a single run in the two last games.

Peterson pitched eight strikeouts versus his divisional opponents from Indiana, meaning that nearly 3 entire innings of the game were won solely on strikeouts. Walking only one batter and leading his team to a 3-0 victory, Peterson turned out a near-perfect stat sheet.

A standalone infield single that dribbled past the veteran pitcher with a stroke of luck in the eighth inning was the only thing standing between Peterson and making UW-Milwaukee history.

Of course, it is that one hit that really stings.

“Knowing that I was close and that it ended by an infield single makes it harder to handle. But it gives me something else to strive for in the future,” Peterson said.

The end of the regular season is under three weeks away for the Panthers the last game being versus the tough divisional rival Wright State on May 17and the Panthers stand at third from the top of the division at the end of April, with a slight bit of hope for moving up in the rankings. The Horizon League Tournament is at the end of the season and the team is looking forward to getting a chance in the spotlight again.

Peterson is the second most used player on the pitching squad. The junior has pitched just over 47 innings this season, which is 8 innings less than the Panther’s innings pitched leader and 12 innings more than the next highest ranking pitcher regarding innings pitched.

This indicates that the team relies heavily on their top two pitchers. With the amount of effort the team regularly needs from him, it is clear that Peterson will have a significant impact on the rest of the Panthers’ season.

“My favorite part of being a pitcher is being in control of the game and having the ball in your hand every pitch and being able to dictate the game. I also like the extra pressure you have as a pitcher to get the job done, which for me makes it more fun,” Peterson said.

The 21-year old threw the Panthers’ first one-hitter the program has seen in nearly three years. Peterson is grateful to be recognized around the league for his accolades and uses acknowledgement like this to stay motivated and focused on winning.

“It was a good feeling to be named Pitcher of the Week and just a nice pat on the back.”