Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt of the Youngstown State baseball team was named the Under Armour Horizon League Pitcher of the Week following the opening weekend of the 2026 season, the league office announced on Monday.

Gebhardt recorded the most strikeouts in a game by a Penguin in nearly five years as part of a masterful Opening Day pitching performance in YSU's 2-1 loss to the No. 5 Auburn Tigers in the 2026 season opener on Friday evening at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.

Gebhardt, who collects the first weekly HL award of his career, was responsible for one unearned run on two hits while setting a new career high with 11 strikeouts over six innings on the mound. The Howland, Ohio, native posted the most strikeouts in a game by a Penguin since Collin Floyd fanned 12 batters against Milwaukee on April 9, 2021. Gebhardt recorded multiple punchouts in four different frames while fanning seven straight batters between the third and fifth innings.

Youngstown State will continue its early season road stretch on Thursday when it begins a four-game series at Oregon. First pitch for Thursday's series opener at PK Park is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast live on B1G+.

For the latest news and updates throughout the 2026 season, follow @YSUBaseball on X and Instagram.