MADISON, S.D. -- Bellevue University seniors Mitch Savine (Omaha, Neb.) and JT Patterson (Calgary, Alta.) have been named the North Star Athletic Association's Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Savine and Patterson helped lead BU to a perfect 4-0 week as the Bruins ran their win-streak to a season-best 17 games. Bellevue has won 30 of 31 games dating to Mar. 9.
Savine earns his first NSAA weekly award after combining on a no-hitter with closer Derek Browne. In six hitless innings against Dakota State last Wednesday, Savine struck out seven Trojans and yielded just one base-runner who reached via error.
On the season, Savine is now 4-3 with a 5.06 ERA. He has logged 48.0 innings on the hill and tallied 36 strikeouts.
Patterson turned in another impressive week at the dish, slashing .667/.706/1.667 with four home runs and 14 RBI. With his third three-home run game of the month in the series-opener against Waldorf, Patterson becomes the first known NAIA player to hit three home runs in three games in the same season. He is believed to be the first player to do so in the same month across all levels of college baseball.
Patterson has now hit safely in nine-straight games and is hitting .399/.485/.832 with 34 extra-base hits and 73 RBI on the season. His 20 homers rank fifth nationally while his RBI total is third in the NAIA.
Bellevue (37-14 | 21-1) wraps up the regular season today with a double-header against Waldorf University. The Bruins swept the Warriors in a double-header on Sunday to claim the league's regular season title and secure the top seed in this weekend's NSAA Tournament.
