TAMPA, Fla. (CBC) — The Southeastern Conference Player of the Week award has been announced, and this week’s recipient is LSU’s senior infielder Conner Hale (New Port Richey, Fla./Mitchell HS/State College of Fla.).
Hale showed up big leading LSU to three victories in a row at the Houston College Classic, taking down No. 8 Houston, Baylor and Nebraska.
The veteran slugger put up a .400 batting average (4-for-10) over the week by means of one double, one home run, five RBI and two runs scored.
Photo LSU Atheltics
Hale was also named to the Houston College Classic All-Tournament Team, while extending his hitting streak to 16 games. The 2014 SEC All-Tournament Team member has hit safely in all of the Tigers’ 16 contests this year.
Remarkably, the complete week, together with LSU victories against Stephen F. Austin and Grambling, Hale batted .316 (6-for-19) using two doubles, one triple, one home run and seven RBI to help secure his Player of the Week honor.
Photo TAMU Athletics
This week’s SEC Pitcher of the Week is Texas A&M’s junior right-hander Grayson Long (Mont Belvieu, Texas/Barbers Hill).
Long emphasized how much talent was present at the Houston College Classic, receiving Most Outstanding Player honors together with All-Tournament credits.
The letterman led TAMU to a 6-0 victory against the No. 8 Houston Cougars at Minute Maid Park with a dazzling 7.0 inning appearance, allowing only three hits with just two leaving the infield.
The hurler permitted just one runner to get into scoring position during his 7.0 innings of work, while putting up a career-high 10 strikeouts without walking a single hitter.
Long has an incredible 2015 pedigree highlighting a 3-0 record with a 0.47 earned run average, 13 hits, three walks and 17 strikeouts.
Photo Kentucky Athletics
SEC Freshman of the Week has been awarded to Kentucky Wildcat infielder Riley Mahan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller.)
The former first-team All-State high school player put his name on the NCAA D1 map leading the Wildcats to five victories to unwrap Kentucky’s first home-stand.
The talented youngster batted .368 (7-for-19) with six runs, two doubles and three RBI. Furthermore stole a base and did not strike out.
During the course of Kentucky’s home-opening victories versus Murray State, Mahan tallied a hit in the opener before going a career-best 3-for-4 at the plate, with his first career steal in the night game.
Mahan smacked a double and scored two runs in Kentucky’s series-opening victory against Northern Kentucky, and after putting in a 1-for-4 performance in the second game of the series against NKU, delivered a two-run, two-RBI performance in the final contest, drawing a base-on-balls and registering a double.
