DeNato named top Big Ten pitcher of week

From ids reports

Freshman pitcher Joey DeNato started a Friday game for the first time in his collegiate career May 6 against Northwestern. It went well enough.

DeNato’s eight shutout innings and seven strikeouts in the Hoosiers’ 5-0 win against the Wildcats earned the lefty not only his second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor of 2011 but also the conference’s Pitcher of the Week award.

IU coach Tracy Smith moved DeNato to the Friday slot to allow junior Blake Monar, the usual Friday starter, time to recover from illness. The San Diego native turned that opportunity into his sixth win of the season and a 2.52 ERA.

IU won two of three games against Northwestern over the weekend of May 6-8 at Sembower Field, improving to 8-10 in the Big Ten and to sixth in the conference standings with two regular-season series remaining.

-Drew Allen