MAC East Division Baseball Player of the Week
Andrew Kubuski, Bowling Green
So., Outfielder, Elyria, Ohio (Elyria Catholic)
Kubuski led the Falcons to a 4-1 record last week, going 9-for-20 on the week in wins over Dayton, Malone, and Eastern Kentucky (2). Kubuski scored six runs on the week, while knocking in 12 runners. In Bowling Green's 3-2 win over Dayton on Tuesday, Kubuski went 1-for-3 with a run scored. The next day, the Falcons defeated Malone 24-11, with Kubuski going 2-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Kubuski went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Bowling Green's 10-8 loss to EKU on Friday. Kubuski would lead the charge on Saturday, however, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and seven RBI. In the 22-2 win over the Colonels, Kubuski drilled two home runs, including a grand slam. On Sunday, Kubuski went 3-for-4 with one RBI, helping the Falcons to the series win.
MAC East Division Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Sean Kennedy, Ohio
So., LHP, Columbus, Ohio (Centennial)
Kennedy became just the second Ohio pitcher this season to pitch a complete game. In his lone appearance of the week against IPFW, Kennedy worked 9.0 innings, struck out eight, gave up only two hits and allowed just one earned run as he picked up his first win of the season.
MAC West Division Baseball Player of the Week
Jordan Dean, Central Michigan
Jr., Shortstop, Midland, Mich. (Bullock Creek)
Dean continued to rip the ball off the cover during Central Michigan's five games last week, batting .500 (13-for-26) with a team-high seven runs, two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI. Dean extended his current streak to 11 games with at least two-hits in each game, giving him six straight multi-hit contests and 11 on the season. He finished the week with a .808 slugging percentage and drew two more walks for an on-base percentage of .536.
MAC West Division Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Taylor Nawrocki, Northern Illinois
Jr., P, Fairmont, Minn. (Granada-Huntley-East Chain)
Nawrocki led the Huskies to a 3-0 win over in-state rival and defending Big Ten Champion Illinois. He surrendered a mere six hits and three walks in the contest while striking out four. It was his first win as a Huskie and is now 1-1 on the season. Nawrocki has not surrendered an earned run in 14 innings.
Other Nominees
Sam Trecaso, Akron
Jr., 1B, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (St. Vincent-St. Mary)
Trecaso continues to swing the bat well, batting .421 in the five games that wrapped up Akron's spring break trip in Florida. Trecaso was most impressive in the final three games of the week, going 7-for-12 (.583) with four runs scored and four RBI in games against Fairfield, North Dakota State, and Chicago State. Trecaso has recorded multiple hits in nine of his last 12 games.
Matt Pollock, Buffalo
JR, OF, Sagamore Hills, OH (Walsh Jesuit)
Pollock was a tough out during the team's busy five-game week, batting .550 (11-20) with eight runs scored and eight runs batted in. The junior hit three doubles, a triple and a home run to lead the team to a pair of wins. He recorded three multi-hit games, highlighted by a season-high four hits (including two doubles) in a perfect 4-4 performance against St. Joseph's on Saturday. On Tuesday, Pollock hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of an 8-6 win over Towson, and the next day he came just a home run shy of the cycle in a 16-8 win over UMBC. The Sagamore Hills, OH native is riding a 10-game hit streak and has a season batting average of .370.
Ethan McKenney, Bowling Green
So., Pitcher, Defiance, Ohio (Tinora)
Last week: In his Saturday start, McKenney led the Falcons to a 22-2 win, pitching a complete game. McKenney kept the Colonels at bay, only allowing five hits over the course of the nine innings. He only allowed two runs, while striking out eight for the Falcons.
Kevin Hughes, Buffalo
SR, RHP, Lockport, NY (Genesee CC)
Kevin Hughes threw five shutout innings on Saturday against St. Joseph's. The senior pitcher from Lockport, NY did not let a single batter past second base and scattered three singles. He would set the Hawks down in order in the first, fourth and fifth innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen. For the day, Hughes did not allow a single walk, and struck out eight batters to lower his earned run average nearly three whole runs. He sports a team-high 4-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season.
Neil Butara, Eastern Michigan
Junior, RHP, Euclid, Ohio (St. Ignatius)
Butara made the most of his first weekend start of the season Saturday, March 17, when he recorded a his first victory of the season in a 15-1 drubbing of Niagara. The junior earned his spot in the rotation after several mid-week starts earlier in the season, and tossed six innings of one-run, three-hit ball. He also fanned a career-high seven batters in the process. His ERA of 1.65 in six appearances is the best mark among EMU pitchers, while his strikeout total (16) ranks third.
Lee Longo, Eastern Michigan
Sophomore, Mayfield, Ohio (Mayfield)
Longo had an incredible weekend at the plate in the Eagles' three-game sweep of Niagara. The sophomore went 10-for-14 (.714) overall which included a spotless 5-for-5 showing Friday. A five-hit game was one better than his previous single-game best. Longo cranked out a pair of doubles and four RBI during that stretch and helped his team amass 46 runs on 45 hits for the series. He has bumped his season batting average to a team-leading .391 and is reaching base at a .436 clip.
George Roberts, Kent State
Jr., 1B, Summerhill, Pa. (Forest Hills)
Roberts led the Flashes with five hits and three RBIs in its weekend series at Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif. He led the Flashes at the plate with a 3-for-4 effort with an RBI in Kent State's 2-0 series-opening victory last Friday (March 16). Roberts finished Monday's game with two hits -- including a two-run home run, his team-leading second round tripper of the season. He posted his team-leading eighth multi-hit effort of the season.
David Starn, Kent State
Sr., LHP, Hudson, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit)
Starn struck out five in seven innings of work and retired 17 of the final 20 batters he faced to improve to 3-2 on the season after helping the Golden Flashes (8-8) blank Pepperdine, 2-0, Friday (March 16) in Malibu, Calif. He is now 21-8 in his career and is tied with Joe Skodny (1982-85) for the eighth-most career pitching victories in Kent State history. Starn is six victories away from breaking the school record of 26 set by Pat Bangston (1984-87). The 2012 Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America selection upped his career strikeout total to 251 and is 24 away from breaking the Kent State record of 274 set by Dirk Hayhurst (2000-03). Friday's contest marked the third time this season Starn pitched at least seven frames and 15th time in his career. His 255 career innings pitched rank fourth in school history.
Bryce Redeker, Miami
Sr., OF, Watseka, Ill.
Helped Miami run its winning streak to seven games before Sunday’s loss to Morehead State… the RedHawks went 4-1 during the week… raised his season average from .212 to .300 by hitting .545 (10-for-18) with one home run and seven RBIs… had multiple hits in four of the five games with a high of three vs. Canisius on March 13… drove in a pair of runs three times… five of his hits went for extra bases (three doubles, a triple and a home run), giving him a 1.000 slugging percentage… with two walks and two hit-by-pitches, he posted a .636 on-base percentage… also stole a base… fielded .889 (one error in nine chances).
Mac Thoreson, Miami
Jr., RHP, Knoxville, Tenn.
Won his second straight game, pitching seven innings in a 3-1 win over Morehead State on Saturday… allowed just five hits and an earned run… walked two and struck out four.
Alex Jones, Northern Illinois
Sr., Shortstop, Kansas City, Kan. (Piper)
Alex Jones finished the weekend 6-for-15 (.400) at the plate with three RBI, four runs, one double, one triple and one sacrifice bunt. Along with his stellar weekend, Jones also set the Northern Illinois record for career triples with his 12th against Illinois March 17. Jones set up the third run against the Illini with his sacrifice bunt to advance Troy White to second. In the field, he committed zero errors at his usual short stop position.
Jake Madsen, Ohio
Fr., INF Cincinnati, Ohio (Moeller)
Madsen helped the Bobcats to a 3-1 record last week against IPFW as he went 9-for-17 (.529) and in the process extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He also hit one double, scored five runs and drove in five RBI as Ohio got back to .500 on the year.
James Miglin, Toledo
So., C, Warsaw, Ind. (Warsaw)
Miglin hit a team-high .471 (8-for-17) with one run scored, one double and two RBI in four games last week. Miglin recorded multi-hit efforts in three of the four contests and tallied a .529 slugging percentage and a .526 on-base percentage. He opened the week with a 3-for-5 effort and one RBI at Dayton last Wednesday, March 14. Three days later in Saturday’s middle game in the Xavier series, the Warsaw, IN native finished 3-for-6. Miglin then wrapped up the impressive week and the series with a 2-for-3 showing with one run scored, one RBI and one walk. He has now hit safely in 11 of the 18 games this spring, including five multi-hit efforts.
Vinnie Booker, Western Michigan
So. OF, Clarkston, Mich. (Lake Orion)
Booker batted a team-best .500 in three games this past weekend, going 7-for-14 at the plate ... WMU's leadoff man, Booker had a .929 slugging percentage and a .533 on base-percentage ... four of his seven hits were for extra bases, belting three doubles and his first career home run ... he also scored five runs and stole two bases ... recording a hit in every game, Booker extended his current hitting streak to a career-best and team season-high 11 games.
Steve Laudicina, Western Michigan
So., LHP, Sterling Heights, Mich. (DeLaSalle)
Laudicina improved his record to 2-1 on the season in a 5-1 win over Evansville ... he hurled six innings, yielding just one run and five hits, while walking one and striking out two ... Laudicina took the mound in the seventh, but the game was delayed for an hour and 20 minutes due to rain and lightning and he did not return ... it was Laudicina's second win in a row, and he has allowed just one run over 13.0 combined innings ... his season ERA fell from 4.91 to 4.07.