By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University baseball pitcher Benjamin Whitten (RHP, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) has been named Northwest Conference Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week after picking up a win in his first collegiate start on Saturday, Feb. 4. Whitten pitched five innings in Willamette's 12-5 victory over Whittier College that started a doubleheader and completed a three-game series against the Poets in Whittier, California.

Whitten allowed just two hits and one run while recording four strikeouts and one walk. He registered a 1.80 earned run average and limited Whittier to a .125 batting average. Willamette held a 6-1 lead when he left the game.

During the weekend, the Bearcats played a total of four road games to open the season. Willamette won two of three games against the Poets before losing to Pomona-Pitzher on Sunday, Feb. 5 in Claremont, California. WU ended the weekend with a 2-2 record.

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 11 with a neutral-site game against University of Puget Sound, at Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville, Oregon. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Also on Saturday in Wilsonville, Puget Sound will play Whitworth University at 11 a.m., while Whitworth will take on Lewis & Clark College at 5 p.m. All three games will be non-conference games.