Senior pitcher led Scots staff in wins, strikeouts and innings
MONMOUTH, ILL. (05/20/2022) Monmouth College baseball pitcher A.J. Hatlestad (New Windsor, Illinois) was named second-team All-Conference by the Midwest Conference on Friday. Hatlestad, who graduated on Sunday, was the Fighting Scots lone representative on the end of the season teams, voted on by the nine league coaches.
Hatlestad made nine starts in 2022, pitching 10 times overall. He was 4-5 with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP while striking out 53 batters in 65 innings. He led the Scots in wins, innings, strikeouts, quality starts (6) and complete games (2).
In conference play, Hatlestad started six games for Monmouth, going 2-4 with a 4.54 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He went at least six innings in five of his six conference starts and allowed three runs or fewer in four of those starts.
Hatlestad threw a seven-inning, complete-game shutout on March 6 against Gettysburg on the spring break trip in Florida. With five strikeouts, that effort earned him MWC Pitcher of the Week honors. He threw a nine-inning complete game against Ripon on March 27, allowing one earned run on three hits. Hatlestad struck out a career-high 10 batters on April 9 against Beloit with 7 2/3 innings of work.
Hatlestad faced all four of the MWC Tournament qualifiers this season: Ripon, Chicago, Lawrence and Illinois College. He had a 2.25 ERA against the foursome but just one win as the Scots scored a combined four runs in the losses to Ripon, Chicago and IC . He had quality starts against all four, allowing seven earned runs on 20 hits over 28 innings while striking out 22 and walking seven.
***Story courtesy of Monmouth College Athletic Department***
