JERSEY CITY, N.J. – John Leiter (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South), a member of the Saint Peter's baseball team, has been named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Pitcher of the Week for the week of Mar. 8-14. It is the senior's first conference honor.
Leiter tossed his first career nine-inning complete-game shutout after allowing only two hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in a 2-0 victory at Fordham on Saturday. Leiter retired the first 10 batters he faced and then the senior retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced in his second career complete-game shutout. The senior had a complete-game seven-inning shutout against Iona on Apr. 18, 2015 for his first collegiate shutout.
Leiter is 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20.0 innings pitched and three starts in 2016. The senior will next be on the hill for the Jersey City team on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader with La Salle. Game time is 12 p.m.
For his career, Leiter has six wins and a save in 41 appearances, including 32 starts and has registered 132 strikeouts in 188.2 innings pitched. The senior is starting to climb the program's all-time career charts after moving into sixth place in games started, 13th in strikeouts and 15th in innings pitched.
Leiter, the nephew of two former Major League Baseball hurlers (Al and Mark Leiter), becomes the first Saint Peter's player to earn MAAC Pitcher of the Week since Zach Hopf on Apr. 7-13, 2014. Leiter joins Rob Moore (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) as the only two players on the roster that have earned a MAAC weekly award on the roster. Moore was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week for the week of Mar. 18-24, 2013.
The Peacocks (3-7) have won two-consecutive games and return to action on Friday when they start the Big Five Baseball Bash at Villanova. Saint Peter's will be playing the Wildcats for the second-straight game after defeating Villanova 5-1 on Sunday. Game time is 3:15 p.m.
