Bethel ace Tyler Heitmann (Baldwin, Wis. / Baldwin-Woodville) took the hill against a pair of opponents who were each unbeaten in MIAC play, and he certainly stepped up to the daunting task last week. The senior went 1-1 in his two tough starts - both complete-game efforts - with a remarkable 0.64 ERA, allowing just one earned run on 17 hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts in 14 innings. For his performance the MIAC sports information directors honored Heitmann Monday with the MIAC Baseball Pitcher-of-the-Week award.

Heitmann's week began Tuesday with the task of facing St. Thomas, which is now 17-3 overall and 10-0 in the MIAC, and he nearly pitched his team to victory. Heitmann allowed just one earned run in a complete-game, 3-1 loss, as he struck out six against 11 hits and just one walk. He was even better Saturday against Carleton, which entered with a 5-0 MIAC record. Heitmann tossed a complete-game, six-hit shutout in a 7-0 win, with six strikeouts and no walks to give the Knights their first conference loss. This season, Heitmann is 2-3 in eight appearances (six starts) with the MIAC's seventh-best ERA (3.86). He leads the MIAC in innings pitched (46.2) and shutouts (one), is ranked third in complete games (two) and ranks fifth in both strikeouts (45) and strikeouts per game (8.68).

After going 2-3 last week, Bethel is now 15-13 overall and an even .500 at 5-5 in the MIAC. The Royals are currently in a three-way tie for fifth, and tied with the two third-place teams in the win column. This week, Heitmann and company have one MIAC doubleheader and one nonconference game on the schedule. Bethel will head to CHS Field Wednesday to take on Hamline in a 2:30 p.m. conference twin bill, and Sunday the team will host a rematch with St. Scholastica at 1 p.m.