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)