COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball freshman LHP T.J. Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa) has earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, announced Monday by the league office. Sikkema earned a pair of saves in Mizzou’s series sweep at Alabama last weekend, helping run the team’s winning streak to 19 games, the longest streak in the nation.

Sikkema made two appearances for Mizzou on the weekend at Alabama, earning saves in the Friday and Sunday contests, pitching 5.1 innings while striking out an incredible 10 batters without allowing a run. On Friday, he pitched the final 2.0 innings and helped Mizzou earn its first SEC shutout since March 15, 2015, while teaming with Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) to allow the fewest hits ever for a Mizzou opponent in an SEC game (two). Four of his five strikeouts Friday were of the looking variety as he now has an SEC-best 22 on the season. Sikkema followed that by pitching the final 3.1 innings in Sunday’s contest, settling down what had been a wild game before he came in. He again struck out five in that contest.

Sikkema has arguably been the top reliever in the SEC this season, as he now owns a personal 27.0 shutout inning streak with 46 strikeouts and just 13 hits allowed in that span. He is tied for the SEC lead in strikeouts (46) while ranking third in ERA (0.33) and third in opponent batting (.143). He has earned a decision, four wins and three saves, in each of his last seven appearances and is averaging 15.15 strikeouts/nine innings this season, the top mark in the nation among freshmen.

— Mizzou Athletics —