HICKORY, N.C. (WHKY) — Hickory Crawdads right-hander Aidan Deakins has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week after turning in one of the most dominant starts of the season.

Deakins earned the league’s weekly honor following his performance against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Tuesday, when he tossed six scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. The right-hander struck out a career-high nine batters and walked one, leading Hickory to a 1-0 victory at L.P. Frans Stadium.

The outing continued a strong season for the Rangers prospect, who consistently kept Myrtle Beach hitters off balance while recording his seventh victory of the year. His nine strikeouts established a new career high, and he needed just 72 pitches to complete six innings of work.

Deakins becomes the fourth Hickory player to receive a Carolina League weekly award this season and the third Crawdads pitcher to be recognized.

The Crawdads’ previous weekly award winners in 2026 include:

Paulino Santana — Carolina League Player of the Week for May 18-24
Marcos Torres — Carolina League Player of the Week for June 22-28
Evan Siary — Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for July 6-12
Aidan Deakins — Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for July 20-26

The multiple weekly honors reflect the balance Hickory has displayed throughout the season, with both its offense and pitching staff producing standout individual performances while helping the club remain among the Carolina League’s top teams.

Deakins and the Crawdads continue their push toward the postseason this week as Hickory looks to build on another strong stretch of baseball as they travel to Delmarva to start a six-game road trip in Maryland on Tuesday.