Kira Baker Named Heart Pitcher of the Week

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – After capping her sensational weekend with a perfect game in the Sunday finale, Baker softball's Kira Baker was selected as the Heart of America Pitcher of the Week.

The Eudora, Kan. product turned in a near-flawless outing at the 2023 Spring NAIA Invite this past weekend, going 3-0 and tossing a scoreless 15.1 innings while racking up a total of 35 strikeouts. In Sunday's doubleheader where she pitched all but 2.2 innings, Baker retired 34 of the 35 hitters she faced with 24 of those coming by way of strikeouts.

The lefty recorded a perfect game against (RV) St. Mary of the Woods on Sunday where she was electric all game long, striking out at least two hitters in six of the seven innings to tally 14 K's against the Pomeroys. Prior to her perfect outing, Baker had fanned 12 in her 4.1 innings of relief against Concordia in Sunday's opener – including striking out the first seven Bulldogs hitters – and teamed up with fellow Wildcats hurler Skylar Gorrell to pitch a combined shutout against No. 16 Columbia on Saturday where she also collected nine strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.

In her debut season, the freshman Baker (5-0) has yet to allow a run in her 28.1 innings and has amassed 56 strikeouts already to pace a stacked BU pitching staff that boasts a 1.67 ERA and has three shutouts on the season.

Baker also received national recognition as she was named Pitcher of the Week by NAIA SB, an independent softball media outlet. The official NAIA Player of the Week honors begin on Feb. 28.

Carrying an eight-game winning streak, the red-hot Wildcats (8-1) will be back in action with the Gulf Coast Invitational on March 3-5 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

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