Southern Illinois University pitcher Ben Riffe has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Monday.
Riffe was the pitcher of record in SIU’s first nine-inning no-hitter since 1953. Making the first DI start of his career, Riffe threw six innings of no-hit baseball while striking out four and walking three to earn his first collegiate victory against Austin Peay.
Riffe (6 IP), Tanner Lewis (1 IP), Jordan Gould (1 IP) and Kaden Peterson (1 IP) combined to throw SIU’s first no-hitter of any length since 1979, and the first nine-inning no-hitter since 1953, in Southern’s 10-0 win over Austin Peay on Feb. 22. Riffe, Gould and Peterson all made their debut on the mound for the Salukis during the no-hitter, which was the first combined no-hitter in program history.
SIU’s nine-inning no-hitter is the only nine-inning no-hitter that has been thrown in NCAA DI baseball thus far this season.
The Salukis are back in action Tuesday, March 1 when they host Western Illinois.
