Heidenreich named CL Pitcher of the Year

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Aug. 29, 2015) - Right-hander Matt Heidenreich, who pitched for the Dash for most of the 2015 season, has won the Carolina League's Pitcher of the Year award, the league office announced Saturday. Heidenreich becomes the first Winston-Salem hurler to earn the circuit's top pitching honor since Dave Pavlas accomplished the feat in 1986.

Even though he was promoted to Double-A Birmingham on August 17, Heidenreich still leads the Carolina League with 12 victories. He is tied for seventh in all of Minor League Baseball with 13 total wins, the last of which came with the Barons. The Coronado, Calif., native also places in the top five in the CL in earned run average (2.76 - 3rd), WHIP (1.16 - 4th) and opponent batting average (.254 - 5th).

Heidenreich worked into the sixth inning in all but three of his team-leading 21 starts, during which the Dash posted a 16-5 record. Heidenreich also paces the Dash's pitching staff, which is second in the league in team ERA at 3.24, in both innings pitched (130.2) and strikeouts (103). He was named a midseason CL All-Star, which he also accomplished with the Dash in 2012.

The Carolina League has recognized one Pitcher of the Year every season since 1979, and Heidenreich becomes the third Winston-Salem hurler to receive the award. Mike Brown was the 1981 honoree, while the aforementioned Pavlas was the most recent before Heidenreich.

Though Heidenreich is no longer with the Dash, he was crucial to the club's push in the second half. Winston-Salem enters Saturday's action with a playoff magic number of two and a division magic number of six. The Dash can punch their postseason ticket Saturday with a win over Frederick and a Carolina loss to Lynchburg.