April 1, 2003

Poughkeepsie, NY - Marist College senior baseball player, Chuck Bechtel (Royersford, PA) was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Pitcher of the week, announced this afternoon by the league office. Bechtel earns the first weekly conference award of the year, based on his first five starts this year.

A graduate of Springford High School, Bechtel has been impressive over the first weeks of the season, posting a 4-0 start with an earned run average of just 0.74. Highlighting the great start is his complete game no-hitter against MAAC foe Manhattan, March 23rd. He faced just two batters over the minimum in that game, striking out five, to become the first Marist player in program history to toss a nine-inning no-hitter. The effort earned him several accolades, including Collegiate Baseball News National Pitcher of the Week honors.

In league action this past Saturday, Bechtel struck out 13 Saint Peter's batters in a seven-inning complete game victory. He struck out 11 in 6.1 innings of work in a no-decision against George Mason, and owns game victories over ACC member, Maryland, as well as Colonial Athletic Association power, Old Dominion.

In his five starts this season, Bechtel has tossed a team-high 36.1 innings, giving up only eight runs, three of them earned. In that time, he has struck out 41, while walking just 12, and holding opponents to a .188 batting average against him. He has tallied complete games in each of his last two starts, and has yet to allow an opponent homerun, giving up just six doubles and a triple in 133 at-bats against him.

The Red Foxes are off to an 11-8 overall start, and are currently in third place in the MAAC, at 4-2. Marist, looking for its fourth straight MAAC Title, will resume conference play this weekend, April 5-6th, as it hosts Rider in a three-game set, with games starting at noon on both days. Marist is scheduled to host Hartford on Wednesday, April 2nd, and play at Central Connecticut on Thursday afternoon.