HILLSBORO, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College baseball sophomore Sam Burchi took home his first career Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week Award, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. 
 
Burchi became the first River Otters pitcher to be honored since April 1, 2025, when senior Nate Kerr was recognized. Burchi is the third Lewis & Clark player to earn the award this month, joining sophomore Will Michelman (March 9) and junior Bret Potter (March 23). 
 
The sophomore southpaw put together the best outing of his collegiate career in Saturday's conference opener at the University of Puget Sound. He recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts over five scoreless innings and scattered two hits, two walks and two hit by pitches. The California native struck out the side in the first two innings, posted multiple strikeouts in four frames and at least one strikeout in every inning. 
 
His 11 strikeouts were the most by a Lewis & Clark pitcher since Brett Pierson ('24) struck out 13 Vassar College batters on March 15, 2024. As a team, baseball posted 16 strikeouts in the contest - which is their second-most strikeouts in a single-game since 2013. 
 
In his first two starts of the year, Burchi has held opponents to a .125 batting average and struck out 17 batters in 11.2 innings pitched. He has posted a 1-0 record with a 2.31 ERA and given up just two extra-base hits in starts against Whitman College and the Loggers. For the season, Burchi is averaging 10.26 strikeouts-per-nine-innings. 
 
Lewis & Clark will return to action on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., when they take on Linfield University in a home, non-conference contest.