Lukanen takes home MAC honor

Northern Illinois baseball senior Chuck Lukanen was named Mid-American Conference West Division Co-Pitcher of the week, along with Central Michigan’s Jesse Hernandez, the league announced Tuesday, marking the first such honor for the Huskies in 2010.

“It’s a great honor for Chuck,” said NIU baseball coach Ed Mathey, who has had 11 pitchers and 11 hitters win a weekly conference award since his arrival in 2003. “He pitched a heck of a game Friday for us.  He commanded the zone from start to finish. It’s good to see him back in form for us.  Hopefully he wins many more of these awards.”

Lukanen twirled a gem in the first of NIU's three-game home series against Buffalo last weekend, getting a 6-1 win, going the distance for his second career complete game and the Huskies' first this season.  The lefty helped Mathey get his 400th career win by scattering five hits, surrendering just one run and three walks with five strikeouts.  In the only real jam he got himself into with one out and runners on second and third in the sixth frame, he induced a foul-out to first baseman Dave Reynolds and struck out the next batter swinging.  Dating back to 2009, he has now gone 12 straight starts with at least four strikeouts.

The Lombard. native earned his first weekly award last season for his win over Southern Illinois on March, 12, in which he posted his first Huskie win by throwing seven shutout innings.