JSU Tied (with LSU) for the Longest Active Winning Streak in the Country

Jacksonville State pitcher Ben Tootle was named OVC Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week on Monday. Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee-Martin Sports Information

Jacksonville State (36-19, 23-4 OVC):

Jacksonville State just kept winning last week, scoring victories in each of its four games to run its winning streak to 16 games, which is tied (with LSU) for the longest active winning streak in the country. The Gamecocks topped Kennesaw State in non-conference play (12-11) before winning three straight at UT Martin to lock up its second OVC regular season championship (2005) and the No. 1 seed in this week’s OVC Tournament.

Jax State finished the season 23-4 in OVC play and became the second OVC team to win every conference series in which it competed in during the year since the Conference went to a round-robin schedule (Eastern Illinois is the other team). Overall the team has won 14 straight OVC series dating back to last season. The 23 Conference wins also set an OVC record, topping the 21 games won by Samford in 2005. JSU has won 14 straight OVC games overall.

• Daniel Adamson hit .529 (9-for-17) with seven runs and six RBI last week.
  
  
• Sophomore Ben Tootle continued to roll, pitching a complete game shutout in the squad’s 5-0 win on Friday. He allowed just four hits and struck out eight in seven innings to improve to a perfect 8-0 in OVC play this season. He is now 12-1 all-time against OVC teams in his two-year career. Overall he has a 10-2 record and 4.00 E.R.A. in 81 innings of work; Tootle has struck out 76 on the season.
  
  
• Senior All-American Clay Whittemore became JSU’s all-time hits leader over the weekend, notching three hits on Saturday to push his career total to 252 (passing Jake Ball, 249); an impressive stat considering he played only three years at JSU.
  
  
• The team’s 36 wins overall this season is the most under head coach Jim Case and most since the program moved to Division I in 1996.
  
  
• Reliever Brian Booth has five wins during the win streak and is now 8-0 with a 2.54 E.R.A. in 56.2 innings of relief. Booth has appeared in 27 games out of the bullpen and struck out 60.

As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, JSU will have a bye through Wednesday’s first round and open play on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

See Baseball News at OVC Web site: www.ovcsports.com.

Reprinted here in its entirety from OVC Baseball Report.

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