Dakota State University earned his second North Star Athletic Association Baseball Pitcher of the Week honor on Monday. It was the fifth straight week that a Trojan garnered the league’s weekly honors.
Kirchner has a 2-0 record for the week as the Trojans went 3-3, including a doubleheader home finale sweep of Valley City State on April 24 and taking the first game of the NSAA’s four-game series at No. 5-ranked Bellevue on April 28. He earned a victory as he started the game in DSU’s 19-9 seven-inning victory on April 24 at Flynn Field. He struck out nine VCSU batters while allowing four runs (three unearned) on five hits. Kirchner followed up with 8 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in the Trojans’ 9-6 15-inning affair at Bellevue on April 28. He did not allow a run and scattered six hits. He struck out 12 BU batters.
Kirchner finished the week with an earned run average of 0.67 with 14.17 K/per 9 innings strikeout ratio (21 total strikeouts).
He leads the NSAA in overall ERA with a 1.99. He also leads the conference with six saves. He produced an impressive 0.62 ERA during the conference, tossing 43 2/3 innings and limited the opponents to six runs (three unearned) on 30 hits. He amassed 54 strikeouts during the league season (11.13 K/per 9 innings).
Kirchner was 6-0 with five saves and a complete game in the NSAA season.
He is the son of Johnny and Melissa Kirchner of Lennox and majors in finance and management.
