#27 John Valek III Season 2024
2016 SEC Academic Honor Roll
Pitched the 2016 season at LSU after transferring from the University of Akron, which discontinued its baseball program after the 2015 season … intelligent pitcher that knows how to get hitters out; depends on craftiness and guile to succeed … named to the 2016 SEC Academic Honor Roll as a sport administration major … signed a free-agent deal with the Colorado Rockies in the summer of 2016.
2016 Season
Appeared in 15 games (13 starts), posting a 6-2 record and a 4.04 ERA in 62.1 innings with nine walks and 52 strikeouts … pitched a combined 1.1 relief innings in two appearances in NCAA Regional, allowing no runs on one hit with no walks and three strikeouts … effective start at Notre Dame on May 11 (Game 1 of DH) … worked 4.1 shutout innings of the scheduled seven-inning game, allowing three this with two walks and five strikeouts … posted win over Missouri (April 17), limiting MU to two runs on five hits in six innings with no walks and strikeouts … picked up his first career SEC win on April 5, holding Auburn to four earned runs on six hits in 5.1 innings with one walk and three strikeouts … recorded a quality start at Texas A&M (March 26), limiting the Aggies to two runs on six hits in six innings with one walk and one strikeout … delivered a quality start on March 20 vs. Alabama, working six innings and limiting the Crimson Tide to two runs on seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts … turned in a brilliant outing on Feb. 28 against Sacramento State, limiting the Hornets to one run on four hits in seven innings with no walks and six strikeouts … earned the win on Feb. 21 vs. Cincinnati — two earned runs on four hits in 5.2 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Prior to LSU
Voted 2015 First-Team All Mid-American Conference; also was MAC Pitcher of the Week on March 23, 2015 … made 42 career starts in three seasons at Akron … posted a 6-6 mark for Akron in 2015 with a 3.25 ERA as the Zips’ No. 1 starter … recorded a team-high 99.2 innings with 62 strikeouts and 26 walks while limiting opponents to a .232 batting average … recorded a 6-4 mark in 2014 at Akron with a 2.77 ERA over 91 innings … named to 2014 MAC All-Tournament team … earned Dean’s List recognition in five of his six semesters at Akron … posted an 8-2 record with a 0.75 ERA in senior season at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Fla.; named Broward County 6A Pitcher of the Year … 6-0 mark as a junior at Stoneman Douglas HS with a 2.34 ERA … an honor roll student in all four years of high school.
Personal
Full name is John Valek III … parents are John Valek Jr. and Betty Valek … father is the senior coordinating producer for Fox Sports Florida, mother is a nurse … has one younger brother, Ryne … grandfather, Stan Rojek, played Major League baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Browns from 1942-52 … majoring in business administration at LSU … born January 31, 1994 in Bristol, Conn.
Valek’s LSU Career Highs
Innings: 7.0 vs. Sacramento State (2/28/16)
Strikeouts: 8 vs. Alabama (3/20/16)
Hits Allowed: 8 vs. Ball State (3/13/16)
Runs: 5 at Auburn (4/3/16)
Earned Runs: 4 three times; most recently at Ole Miss (4/30/16)
Walks: 2 twice; most recently at Notre Dame (5/11/16)