CURVE, Pa. – Altoona Curve pitcher Brandon Waddell has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the period of June 20-June 26, the league announced on Monday.
(Photo courtesy of Altoona Curve)
Waddell earned a win on Friday at Bowie after holding the Baysox to three hits with a career-best eight strikeouts in the Curve’s 4-0 shutout win at Prince George’s Stadium. He also matched a career high in the game with seven innings pitched and retired 21 of the 25 batters he faced in the game.
The 22-year-old left-hander is in his second professional season after opening his career last year with West Virginia in the New York-Penn League. He began 2016 in the Florida State League with Bradenton, where he went 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in five starts.
Waddell was promoted to Double-A Altoona on May 3 and won each of his first three starts, extending his streak to seven wins over seven starts. Over his nine starts with the Curve this season, Waddell is 5-2 with a 4.44 ERA.
Waddell was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round in 2015 out of the University of Virginia.
The Houston native’s dominating performance against the Baysox came on the one-year anniversary of his College World Series championship-clinching win on June 24, 2015 when he pitched seven innings for the Virginia Cavaliers against Vanderbilt.
It marks the second Pitcher of the Week Award for Waddell, who picked up Florida State League Pitcher of the Week recognition on May 1 and was named the league’s Player of the Month for April.
Waddell is the second Curve player to be honored with a weekly award by the Eastern League, joining Austin Meadows, who was named the E.L. Player of the Week on June 5.
The first-place Curve begin a seven-game homestand on Monday night with the first of three games against the Binghamton Mets at 7 p.m., and it continues with Fireworks shows at PNG Field on Tuesday and Wednesday. For tickets and more information about upcoming Curve home games, call 877.99.CURVE, visit the PNG Field box office or check AltoonaCurve.com.
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