Tennessee baseball sophomore right-handed pitcher Drew Beam has won SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week following his complete game performance against Mississippi State on Saturday, the league announced the news on Monday afternoon.
𝐒𝐄𝐂 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐦#GBO // #OTH pic.twitter.com/90QzwPMk9E
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 1, 2023
This is the first time Beam has won SEC Pitcher of the Week and the second time in his career. Beam has now won SEC Pitcher of the Week both times he threw a complete game in the series finale, as the Murfreesboro native won the award last season following his complete game shutout against Vanderbilt.
Tennessee has now had two pitchers win SEC Pitcher of the Week in back-to-back weeks, as Chase Burns won it last week.
Beam pitched seven innings on Saturday as Tennessee throttled Mississippi State, 13-2, in a seven-inning run-rule victory.
The Vols completed the sweep with the win, as the 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year has now led his team to back-to-back series-sweeping victories in his last two starts.
Outside of an abnormally poor outing at Arkansas, Beam has been Mr. Consistent, or QB1 as fans and his teammates like to call him, for Tennessee this season.
Beam has the best ERA of the ‘Big Three’ in Chase Dollander, Chase Burns and himself, sitting at a 3.13 along with a 6-2 record on the season.
In SEC play, he’s pitched 33.2 innings and posted a 3.48 ERA. In particular, Beam has been phenomenal in Lindsey Nelson Stadium as of late.
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Arguably Beam’s best two performances of the season have come in the last two weekends at home. The sophomore has given up nine hits, two earned runs, struck out 10 batters and walked just three in 13.2 innings of work over his last two outings.
“During the middle of the week, not just getting out there and playing toss,” Beam said as to what has led to more success in the past two weeks. “I’m actually working on things, not just getting out there and getting my arm loose and getting my throws in but actually working on things and feeling it.”
In total, Beam has pitched 20.2 innings with just 13 hits allowed, four earned runs and 20 strikeouts in three starts at home in April.
Beam’s big performances have been huge for Tennessee to complete back-to-back sweeps and ultimately, in the Saturday win over Mississippi State, get over .500 in SEC play for the first time this season.
“I love it,” Beam said when talking about pitching in series finales. “Getting out there, knowing it’s the last game of the week, I want to set the mood for going into the next week, so if I can get us a win on the last day, it’s always good.”
Now 11-10 in league play and winners of six straight SEC games, Tennessee has positioned themselves to not only make the NCAA Tournament but have a legitimate chance at hosting an NCAA Regional.
“I don’t think we need to change anything,” Beam said about the team. “I think we just need to continue what we’re doing and keep going back to the work that we do during practice and stuff.”
The Vols will look to keep adding to the win column when they face off against Wofford in a Tuesday midweek battle at 6:30 p.m. ET before heading to Athens for a three-game series against Georgia.
