Mather Named NE-10 Pitcher of the Week

Danville, N.H., native collects first career award after one-hit shutout  

RINDGE, N.H. (May 8, 2006) - Franklin Pierce junior right-hander Arric Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunnet) has been named Pitcher of the Week by the Northeast-10 Conference this afternoon.

Mather, who earns the weekly award for the first time in his career, fired a one-hit shutout to lead Franklin Pierce to a 3-0 victory at Southern New Hampshire University last Monday. Mather struck out ten and walked just one over the nine innings. He yielded a one-out single in the first inning, and then held the Penmen hitless the rest of the way, allowing just two base runners over the final eight innings.            

Mather is having a breakout year for Franklin Pierce after earning a spot in the Ravens starting rotation in early April. He is 8-1 (2^nd NE-10) with a 1.52 ERA (5^th), 63 strikeouts (7^th) and just nine walks (4^th) in 59.1 innings of work over ten appearances, six starts, for the Ravens this spring. Opposing batters are hitting just .206 against him (9^th) this season and of the 43 hits he has allowed, just nine have been for extra bases (no home runs). In Conference play, Mather is 5-1 (2^nd) with a 1.54 ERA (10^th), 50 strikeouts (6^th) and nine walks (10^th) in 46.2 innings over six starts, holding opposing batters to a .201 average.

Mather picked up the first three wins of his collegiate career out of the bullpen during Franklin Pierce's annual spring break trip in Florida. He was moved into the starting rotation as the Ravens opened their Northeast-10 schedule in late March. After dropping his first start at Southern Connecticut State (3/30), Mather has gone 5-0 over his last five starts with a 0.89 ERA, 47 strikeouts and seven walks in 40.1 innings, holding opposing batters to a .190 average. He has allowed more than one run just once in that span and enters the postseason without yielding a run over his last 17.1 innings.

Franklin Pierce (40-9, 25-5 NE-10), ranked No. 7 in this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II coaches poll, has clinched its first Northeast-10 Conference regular season championship and is the top seed as the Ravens begin defense of their NE-10 Tournament title on Friday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. The Ravens will face the winner of Wednesday's opening round game between fifth-seeded Bryant University and fourth-seeded UMass Lowell on Friday at 7 p.m.