(Posted April 17, 2006)

Huntingdon, PA - Juniata College senior baseball pitcher Cody Zong (Lewistown/McVeytown) has been selected as the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week for his efforts on the mound for Juniata. The award marks the first time this season, and second time in his career, that Zong has been tabbed by the conference. It is also the fifth time this season the Eagles baseball team has had either the Player or Pitcher of the Week in the conference.

Zong captured a pair of complete-game victories in two Commonwealth Conference games this past week, helping Juniata move to the top of the Commonwealth Conference standings. In his first outing Zong went all seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader against Messiah College and limited the Falcons to two runs on just four hits. He fanned a season-high eight batters on the game en route to the win. He then matched that effort as he limited Elizabethtown to just two runs over seven innings in another Juniata win. Zong surrendered eight hits in the game while adding three strikeouts. For the week he posted a 2.57 ERA in allowing just 12 hits while striking out 11 and walking three.

After earning his first All-Conference honors last season, Zong is enjoying an even more productive senior season. The two victories this past week raised his record to 5-2 on the season, and lowered his ERA to 3.12. He is tied for the team lead with his five wins, while his ERA is second-best among Juniata's starters. Zong is also tied for the conference lead with his five victories and he ranks in the top-five in the conference in strikeouts, ERA and batting average against. He has fanned 38 batters on the season, which is just five shy of establishing a new career high for a season. Zong's four-complete games lead Juniata, and he also has the only shutout for the Eagles on the year. He has gone at least six innings in each of his last five starts, and has allowed three or fewer runs in each of those contests. In his five starts against Commonwealth Conference opponents he boasts a record of 4-1 with a 1.91 earned run average.

With Zong playing a vital role in the pitching staff Juniata is 18-8-1 on the season, and sits tied for first place in the Commonwealth Conference with a record of 11-3-1. After a three-game sweep of conference foe Elizabethtown this past weekend Juniata had won seven of its last nine games. The Eagles will look to continue that stretch when they host Division II Indiana (Pa.) on Tuesday for a doubleheader.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.