Captain of the Week (4/30-5/5): Austin Peterson

EASTLAKE, OH – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week.

For the week of April 30 through May 5, Lake County is recognizing RHP Austin Peterson as its third Captain of the Week for the 2024 season.

The 24-year-old had an impressive series on the mound this past week against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. He went 1-0 in two starts, pitching a combined 13.2 scoreless innings, allowing just seven hits and one walk, and throwing nine strikeouts in 150 pitches (115 strikes). Peterson’s 13.2 shutout frames were the most from a pitcher across Minor League and Major League Baseball from April 30 through May 5.

The right-hander was one of just four pitchers across Minor League and Major League Baseball to record two quality starts in this span, and his 9.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio was tied for the best in High-A over this stretch.

On Tuesday, April 30, Peterson did not record a decision in his first start of the series. He pitched 7.2 shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk, while throwing six strikeouts in 86 pitches (67 strikes). This was the longest outing by a Captains pitcher since June 8, 2023, when current Double-A Akron RubberDucks RHP Tommy Mace hurled eight scoreless frames on the road against the Great Lakes Loons.

Five days later, Peterson pitched another six scoreless innings in his second start of the series en route to his fourth win of the season. He allowed just three hits and no walks, while throwing three strikeouts in an efficient 64 pitches (48 strikes).

So far this year, the 24-year-old ranks top-10 among qualified Midwest League pitchers in: innings pitched (34.2, first), wins (four, tied for first), games started (six, tied for first), quality starts (three, tied for first), strikeouts (36, second), WHIP (0.87, second), ERA (2.08, fourth), and win percentage (.800, ninth).

Peterson was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of UConn. The right-hander had a terrific two years with the Huskies pitching his first two collegiate seasons at Purdue and Wabash Valley Community College, respectively. He made 33 appearances (31 starts) at UConn, going 18-4 with a 3.30 ERA, 229 strikeouts, 46 walks, one complete game, and one shutout in 190.2 innings of work. His 147 strikeouts in 2022 set a Huskies single-season record.

The Indiana native was named to four different 2022 All-America teams (NCBWA First Team, Collegiate Baseball Second Team, ABCA Third Team, and D1Baseball.com Third Team), and was a two-time All-Big East selection at UConn (2022 First Team and 2021 Second Team).

Peterson was assigned to Lake County’s 2024 Opening Day roster after making 24 starts for the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats last season. He went 6-8 with a 4.54 ERA, 102 strikeouts, 27 walks, and a 1.37 WHIP in 117 innings of work. His 24 starts were tied for the most in the Carolina League, and he also ranked top-four in the league in strikes thrown (1,219, second), quality starts (four, tied for third), and strikeouts (102, fourth).

Peterson will look to continue his recent success this week, as the Captains will continue a 13-game homestand with a six-game series against the Dayton Dragons. The series is set to begin on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. The series will be broadcast on both the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on both X and Instagram.

The Lake County Captains are the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and have been a Class A Affiliate of Cleveland since the team was founded in 2003. To find out more information about the Captains or purchase tickets, visit CaptainsBaseball.com, or call (440) 975-8085.

Contact: Logan Potosky, Play-by-Play Broadcaster & Media Relations Assistant
[email protected]