Lucchesi earns OVC, national pitching honors for Southeast Missouri State baseball

The accolades continue to roll in for Southeast Missouri State's Joey Lucchesi.

The senior lefty was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Pitcher of the Week and a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Monday. It's the third time this season that he's garnered both honors.

Lucchesi, the nation's strikeout leader, improved to 9-4 on the season in the Redhawks' 9-2 victory over Belmont on Thursday and broke Southeast and the OVC's single-season strikeout records. He allowed two earned runs on six hits, walked two and struck out 13 batters, increasing his season total to 136. The school's previous single-season record was held by Ryan Spille, who struck out 130 in 1998, and the OVC's record was held by Tennessee Tech's Todd Kemp, who struck out 133 in 1986.

In his two-year career at Southeast, Lucchesi's recorded 229 strikeouts, which is second only to Southeast Hall of Famer Trae Hastings, who struck out 239 from 1975 to 1978.

The defending OVC Pitcher of the Year is a likely candidate to win it again this season. Conference awards will be announced tonight at the league's award banquet.

Lucchesi's also on the Golden Spikes Award and Diamond National Pitcher of the Year Award watch lists.

He's expected to take the mound Thursday night when the three-time defending OVC regular-season champion Redhawks begin their quest for an OVC tournament title. Southeast will play the lower seed of the winners from Games 1 and 2 in the tournament at 7 p.m.