FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 3-5-02

College Baseball: No. 6 AASU 1, Northwest Missouri State 0

Mike Roga Hurls No-Hitter, Strikes Out 17 Bearcat Batters

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Junior Mike Roga hurled the ninth no-hitter in AASU history, tying a school record by striking out 17 batters in Armstrong Atlantic State's 1-0 victory over Northwest Missouri State on Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Field.

Roga (6-1), a junior from Pickering, Ontario, allowed just one walk in picking up his sixth victory of the season. The St. Petersburg JC transfer tied Rick Sawyer for the single-game strikeout record of 17 batters, set in 1990, and struck out six straight Northwest Missouri State (2-8) batters at one point. He set down the first 19 hitters of the game, before walking Michael Creason with one out in the seventh.

The no-hitter spoiled a fine gem by NW Missouri State righthander Brett Jones (0-2), who matched Roga pitch-for-pitch in scattering seven hits and giving up just one run, striking out six in 7 1/3 innings pitched. Jones' only mistake was a two-out double by AASU (18-3) sophomore Stacy Bennett that scored senior Kirk Nordness in the second inning with the game's only run.

Roga's no-hitter is the first for a Pirate hurler since 1999, when Joey Williams blanked USC Spartanburg, 12-0, and the ace of the AASU staff allowed just one ball to be hit out of the infield, when the Bearcats' Marcus West flew out to Pirate left fielder Bryan Wilson to end the third inning.

AASU will next play against Gannon at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, at Pirate Field.

- Pirates -