ANTHONY VENEZIANO NAMED TEXAS LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
SPRINGDALE, AR – Minor League Baseball announced the Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for each of the respective Player Development Leagues and Naturals’ left-hander Anthony Veneziano was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for his performance the week of June 5 through June 12. Veneziano’s recognition
SPRINGDALE, AR – *Minor League Baseball announced the Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for each of the respective Player Development Leagues and Naturals’ left-hander *Anthony Veneziano was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for his performance the week of June 5 through June 12. Veneziano’s recognition marks the league-best fifth weekly award for a Naturals player in 2022, the third Pitcher of the Week award, after left-hander Drew Parrish was honored back-to-back weeks, for the weeks of May 2 to May 8 and May 9 to May 15,
The native of Hackettstown, New Jersey turned in one of the best starts of his professional career, throwing a 7.0-inning complete-game shutout of Tulsa at ONEOK Field in the second game of a doubleheader on Thursday, June 9. Veneziano held the Drillers to just three hits and a walk, while striking out five on just 79 pitches. He retired the final eight hitters he faced and 11 of the last 12, only needing five pitches for a 1-2-3 seventh inning to end the night. It was the Naturals’ first complete game of the season and just the second complete game shutout in the Texas League in 2022.
Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 10th Round of the 2019 Draft out of Coastal Carolina University, Veneziano is 2-4 this season with a 6.34 ERA (31 ER in 44.0 IP) across 11 appearances (10 starts) this season, with 40 strikeouts. Across his last six outings, Veneziano’s 2.90 ERA (10 ER in 31.0 IP) ranks fifth in the Texas League, while his .212 opponents’ batting average places fourth.
This marks the 34th time in franchise history that a Naturals’ pitcher has won the Pitcher of the Week and the eight time in franchise history the Naturals have had at least five weekly award winners in one season.
_Trey Hair _of the Frisco Roughriders (Double-A, Texas Rangers) was the Texas League’s Player of the Week, hitting .318 (7-for-22) in a series at Amarillo, with a league-best five home runs and 10 runs batted in, for a 1.445 OPS.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Ark. For more information, including ticket options, promotions, groups, visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.