Bowling Green Hot Rods RHP Victor Mateo and SS Derek Dietrich have been named the Midwest League’s Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, for the week beginning July 4th.   Mateo earns the accolade after tossing the first no-hitter (7 IP, 10 K) in Hot Rods team history. 

“It’s always exciting when the League takes notice of how well your guys are performing,” said Hot Rods President Brad Taylor.  “Mateo’s masterpiece was clearly deserving of this recognition, and Dietrich’s been doing this for us all year.  These are two top-notch prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays system with Major League aspirations.”

Prior to this week, no Hot Rods player had been named Pitcher or Player of the Week in 2011.  The Hot Rods swept the awards this week while winning four of six games at home, including a series sweep against defending Midwest League Champions, Lake County.  Bowling Green becomes only the second team this season to win both awards in the same week – Lake County captured both prizes the first week of May.

Mateo, whose no-hit victory gave him a league-best ninth win last Friday night, posted career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.  The Dominican right-hander walked three batters, but at one point set down 17 consecutive Captains hitters.

“In the fourth inning, I was thinking about it,” said Mateo.  “I looked up and saw they didn’t have a hit, so I was gonna try to get it.”

En route to his Player of the Week honor, Dietrich launched two home runs against the Great Lakes Loons on Tuesday, July 5th, willing the Hot Rods to a 5-3 win and snapping a four-game Bowling Green losing streak.  The next night, his seventh-inning two-run homer helped rally the Hot Rods to a 4-2 win over Lake County.  On Sunday in West Michigan, Dietrich homered again, driving in three runs to anchor an 11-7 win.  The Hot Rods shortstop finished the week with a .320 average (8-25), three doubles, four home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored.

The Hot Rods return to Bowling Green Wednesday, July 20th, for a six-game home stand against Western Division foes Burlington and Peoria.