April 17, 1999 — Peyton Lewis sets a school record for strikeouts in a game.
It took Lewis, a senior transfer, just 6.1 innings to strike out a Creighton-record 14 batters against Missouri State.
A one-year transfer from Midland Lutheran, Lewis made the most of his senior season. He earned the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year award and Newcomer of the Year recognition. He was 10-1 in his senior season, the second-best winning percentage in school history for a player with a minimum of 10 decisions. His senior season exploits also place him in the top 10 lists for wins in a season, innings pitched in a season, and strikeouts in a season.
He didn’t just win games with is arm, though. He is in the single-season top 10 lists for total bases, runs batted in, and home runs. His statistics and the team’s success (the Bluejays advanced to the South Bend Regional in the NCAA Tournament) helped Lewis earn second-team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The Toronto Bluejays drafted Lewis in the 18th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.