Eastman's Lights Out Performance Leads to IIAC Honor
Apr 14, 2015
IIAC Release
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Senior starter Josh Eastman tossed a 7.0-inning complete game shutout of No. 13 Wartburg on April 10 as he led the University of Dubuque baseball team to a Friday sweep and earned the Iowa Conference Pitcher of the Week award.
The 2014 Honorable Mention All-Iowa Conference selection shut down the Wartburg bats from the outset after retiring the first seven Knight batters. Eastman faced just 24 batters and allowed two hits in his third complete game of the year. The senior shut down a prolific Warburg offense that leads the IIAC in a multitude of offensive categories including home runs (23), slugging percentage (.482), runs scored (127), and hits (179) through 18 games of league play.
His efforts led to a Friday sweep of the Knights as the Spartans (11-15, 6-8 IIAC) split the weekend series, 2-2, after dropping a pair on Saturday, April 11.
Eastman, one of four seniors on a sophomore-laden squad, anchors the team with a 2.84 ERA and has given up a mere two runs combined (none earned) during his last two 7.0-inning appearances. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 25-5 ranks second on the team and leads a Spartan staff that has surrendered the fewest walks, 25, in league play this season.
On the entire season, Eastman sports a 3.40 ERA with a 2-4 record in six appearances (five starts) and has allowed 36 hits over a team-high 39.2 innings.
Eastman hopes to join fellow seniors, UD basketball/softball's Meggie Schmidt and UD football/track and field's Tyler Dobratz, as the third Edgerton, Wis. native (Population: 5,500) to earn Second Team All-IIAC honors or better this season.
The 2014 Academic All-Iowa Conference selection majors in health, wellness, and recreation.
Eastman and the Spartans take on Luther (12-14, 7-7 IIAC) in a four-game series this weekend starting at 1:00 p.m. at home on Friday, April 17. The Norse split their four-game series with Loras last weekend.
