When Andy Heimbach wrapped up his four-hit shutout performance over Urbana University on Tuesday afternoon, the 6-0 victory for Mount Vernon Nazarene College was not just another shutout.
With the shutout, Heimbach, a junior right-hander from Wheelersburg, Ohio, tied his own single-season school record with five shutouts. The shutout was also the fifteenth shutout of Heimbach’s career, breaking the previous NAIA record of 14 set by Ron Norman of Pembroke State (NC) University from 1971-1974.
The 15 career shutouts also ties Heimbach with Ken Kravec of Ashland University for the most career shutouts in all of college baseball. Kravec holds the NCAA Division II record with 15 from 1970-1973.
The NCAA Division I record is 14 shutouts set by Jesse Trinidad of Texas-Pan American University from 1974-1976 and equaled by Greg Swindell of the University of Texas from 1984-1986. The NCAA Division III record is 11 shutouts for Eastern Connecticut State University from 1974-1976.
Against Urbana, Heimbach struck out nine batters and did not allow a walk as he improved his record to 8-1 and lowered his earned run average to a microscopic 0.72. For the season, he has struck out 81 batters in 50 1/3 innings of work while issuing only five walks.
MVNC is currently 22-9 overall and 10-2 in the American Mideast Conference. The Cougars are scheduled to return to action on Thursday when the team will travel to Tiffin University for another AMC twinbill that is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.
