| Duke Williams |
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Outlook for 2009: Has worked extremely hard to put injury that sidelined him last season behind him...Ready to make a huge impact on Tiger pitching staff, either out of the bullpen or at the back end of rotation.
2008 (Senior): Saw two outings and logged just an inning of work before being forced to redshirt with an arm injury...Pitched against UT-Martin (2/27/08) and Georgia (3/7/08)...Walked four batters and gave up four earned runs...Hit three batters.
Prior to Memphis: 2007: Was a three-year letterman for Head Coach Allen Gum at Southern Arkansas University...Helped Southern Arkansas to a 41-17 finish...Muleriders' Opening Day starter and led the staff with 13 starts...SAU was 8-5 in his 13 starts...Compiled a 6-5 record with a 3.69 ERA...Notched two complete game performances...Second on the staff with 55 strikeouts in 68.1 innings...Averaged 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings pitched...Held opposing hitters to a .255 batting average...Walked just 23 batters...Dropped first three decisions, including losses to No. 5 Montevallo and No. 16 Abilene Christian...Bounced back to win next three decisions...Earned shutout wins over Indianapolis (20-0), Alabama-Huntsville (4-0) and Christian Brothers (9-0)...Struck out a career-high eight batters in a six-inning win over Arkansas-Monticello (3/3/07)...Fanned six in a one-hit performance against Alabama-Huntsville (3/10/07)...Struck out six and allowed just one unearned score in a 4-3 win over UALR (3/27/07)...Earned Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week honors (3/13/07)...2006: Earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI honors...Went 4-2 and was third on the staff with a 4.38 ERA...Made 14 appearances, including drawing nine starts...Fanned 41 and walked just 16 in 49.1 innings...Won his first four decisions...Worked as a starter in his first outing of the year, before moving to the bullpen for his next four appearances...Fanned six and allowed just three hits in an eight-inning win over Ouachita Baptist (4/4/06)...Posted a 2-2 record with a 3.61 ERA as a starter...Was undefeated in two decisions out of the bullpen...Maintained a 9.00 ERA in 7.0 innings as a reliever...2005: Made 10 appearances, including two starts in his rookie season at Southern Arkansas...Posted a 1-2 record and a 6.75 ERA...Struck out 14 and walked just four in 21.1 innings...Earned his lone win of the year in a 8-4 victory over Texas Wesleyan (4/12/05).
Summer 2007: Played for the Stark County Terriers of the Great Lakes League...Named to the GLL All-Star team...Helped Stark County to a 20-20 finish...Was the team's top pitcher, leading the pitching staff in starts (7), innings pitched (35.1), ERA (2,55) and strikeouts (30)...Went 1-3 in nine appearances and held opponents to a .208 batting average.
Prep: Prepped at St. Benedict at Auburndale...Posted a 2.43 ERA in 37.3 innings with 30 strikeouts as a senior.
Personal: Born Robert Lee Williams...Son of Steve and Maggie Williams...Birth date is May 7, 1986...Only four-year transfer on Memphis roster...Majoring in interdisciplinary studies...Played two years for Phil Clark at Germantown High School...Was a teammate of Zach Clark and Chris Newsom.
Williams' Career Statistics
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO
2005* 6.75 1-1 10 2 0 0 21.1 31 17 16 4 14
2006* 4.38 4-2 14 9 0 0 49.1 58 33 24 16 41
2007* 3.69 6-5 13 13 2 0 68.1 66 38 28 23 55
2008 36.00 0-0 2 0 0 0 1.0 3 4 4 2 0
Totals 4.63 11-8 39 24 2 0 140.0 158 92 72 45 110
