Rucker earns Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Mike Rucker was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week after carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning on July 12 against Winston-Salem. (Larry Kave/Myrtle Beach Pelicans)

By Scott Kornberg

July 17, 2017

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (July 17, 2017) - Myrtle Beach Pelicans right-hander Mike Rucker has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 10-16, the league office announced Monday. Rucker is the first Pelican to earn a weekly honor in 2017.A native of Lake Tapps, Wash., Rucker carried

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (July 17, 2017) - Myrtle Beach Pelicans right-hander Mike Rucker has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 10-16, the league office announced Monday. Rucker is the first Pelican to earn a weekly honor in 2017.
A native of Lake Tapps, Wash., Rucker carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning during his start against Winston-Salem on July 12. A Zack Collins double with one out in the frame ended Rucker's no-hit bid, which matched Adbert Alzolay's 6.1 hitless innings in game one of a doubleheader on May 10 against the Dash for the longest by a Pelicans starter this season. Rucker wound up firing a career-high seven innings, using a career-best seven strikeouts against just one walk and one hit allowed to help Myrtle Beach shut out Winston-Salem 2-0.

The Chicago Cubs' 11th-round selection in 2016 out of Brigham Young University, Rucker is 2-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 12 games, including seven starts, this season for the Pelicans. The right-hander has whiffed 48 against 13 walks in 47.0 innings, ceding just 36 hits.
Prior to earning a promotion on May 16 to Myrtle Beach, Rucker posted a 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings over seven games with Low-A South Bend. He struck out 22 without issuing a free pass.
Myrtle Beach and the Buies Creek Astros will complete a suspended game from Sunday beginning at 5 p.m. on Monday. Following the completion of that contest, which is tied at one going to the fifth inning, Rucker will make the start in Monday's scheduled game, which will be a seven-inning affair.
The 2017 season is the 19th season for the Pelicans franchise and third as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2017, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last six seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last six years and the best in the Carolina League for six straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the two-time defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 and 2016 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made ten postseason appearances behind 12 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season and second half of 2016. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].