Carson Spiers Named International League Pitcher of the Week 

After throwing a pair of gems to lead the Louisville Bats to two crucial victories over the Indianapolis Indians last week, Bats pitcher Carson Spiers has been named the International League Pitcher of the Week for the period from May 6-12.

The weekly award is the first for a Bats player this season, the first since Connor Phillips earned Pitcher of the Week honors on July 24, 2023. For Spiers, the honor is the third of his professional career after he earned High-A Central Pitcher of the Week twice in 2021 for High-A Dayton.

Over two starts against Indianapolis last week, Spiers went 2-0, pitching 12.0 innings while allowing just one unearned run for a 0.00 ERA. He gave up eight hits and walked three while striking out 15 to start and finish a dominant week for the Bats, who won five of six games from their longtime rivals.

On Tuesday, May 7, Spiers was dominant from start to finish, firing six scoreless innings with four hits against, one walk, and six strikeouts in a 6-2 victory in the series opener.

With the series victory already clinched heading into Sunday’s series finale, the Bats sent Spiers back to the mound, and he finished it with a flourish.

After escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first on May 12, Spiers settled down to power the Bats to another win. While he did allow an unearned run in the fourth, he was incredibly efficient after the first. Over six innings, the 26-year-old gave up the one run on four hits with two walks and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts as Louisville cruised to a 7-1 win.

After pitching in just six games at the Triple-A level before 2024, Spiers has emerged as the Bats’ most reliable starter to begin the season. In eight games (seven starts), the Clemson alumnus is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 40.2 innings, striking out 42 and walking 15 while holding opponents to a .199 batting average.

The Opening Night starter for the Bats, Spiers also pitched in one Major League game for the Cincinnati Reds this season. He was recalled on April 8 and fired four innings the next day against Milwaukee, giving up four runs before being optioned back to Louisville on April 13.

Spiers was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent on June 21, 2010 and has spent his entire career in the Reds system, making his MLB debut with four appearances for Cincinnati last September.

His father, Michael, also attended Clemson from 1988-91 and was the MVP of the 1991 ACC Baseball tournament. Carson’s uncle, Bill, played at Clemson from 1985-87 and went on to play 13 Major League seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and Houston Astros from 1989-2001.

Spiers and the Bats begin a road trip against the Columbus Clippers on Tuesday night. First pitch at Huntington Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.