May 9, 2011

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Junior right-handed pitcher Burny Mitchem became the third UD pitcher to be named Atlantic 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week this season, as announced by the league office on Monday.

Mitchem hurled his first career complete-game shutout and his third-consecutive complete-game performance against Xavier on May 6, securing the 5-0 triumph for the Flyers. The Farmington, Mich., native went the distance with six strikeouts and allowed just five hits, after retiring the last six Musketeer batters to close out the contest. Mitchem forced 15 groundouts in his 33 batters faced and surrendered only two walks.

After Friday’s start, Mitchem (6-2) paced a Dayton pitching staff which had thrown four consecutive complete games without allowing a run in the previous 21 innings. The Flyers are 6-0 when Mitchem starts conference games this season.

All three of Dayton's weekend starters have been named Pitcher of the Week – Mike Hauschild (2/21), Cameron Hobson (3/21), and now Mitchem. No other A-10 team has three pitchers who have been named Pitcher of the Week this season.

Mitchem is second in career strikeouts at Dayton with 227.

Rounding out the week’s honor is Rhode Island’s Dan Haverstick who was named Player of the Week. Charlotte’s Tyler Barnette and Saint Louis’ Damian Rivera were named Co-Rookies of the Week.

Next Up
The Flyers travel to Athens, Ohio for a mid-week game against Ohio on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m. ET, followed by a road conference series at St. Bonventure beginning on Thursday.

It will be the last road swing of the regular season for Dayton (26-21, 11-7 A-10), which has had a marked improvement in road contests this season. The Flyers are 13-9 in away games this year, up from a 6-18 road record in 2010.