Monday, February 27, 2006

Macon, Ga. – In a week stacked with outstanding performances on the mound, Mercer’s Shawn Barrett and Lipscomb’s Matt Shnelly share Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week honors while ETSU’s C.J. Lee garnered the Player of the Week nod.

Barrett helped deliver Mercer’s second win over the nation’s top-ranked team in as many weeks. The Bears’ victim this week was Atlantic Coast Conference power Clemson. The senior southpaw tossed seven innings, surrendering just one run on three hits while fanning five Tigers. A big three-run top of the seventh inning carried Mercer past Clemson. For the season, Barrett improved to 2-0 with the win and lowered his ERA to 2.86 in four appearances. The Scottsburg, Ind., native is an Education major at Mercer.

Schnelly hurled the A-Sun’s first complete game shutout of the season in a 4-0 blanking of Big East foe Pittsburgh. The towering 6-6 right-hander struck out 11 batters while surrendering just three hits in the outing to help the Bisons salvage a win in their final game of the Music City Classic. The Panthers were picked to finish second in the preseason Big East polls. The West Palm, Fla., native lowered his team leading ERA to 1.32 in the victory. Schnelly is majoring in Psychology.

Lee hit .400 for the week as the Bucs went 3-2, dropping a pair of games to #3 Georgia Tech early in the week, but rallying to sweep a three-game series from Youngstown State over the weekend. Lee went 5-for-5 in the Youngstown series finale with six RBI, three doubles and two runs scored. His third double of the day was an eighth inning, two-RBI missile off the left field wall that tied the contest at 11. He came around to score his second run of the day, what proved to be the game-winner, later in the inning. For the week, Lee was 8-for-20 from the dish with three doubles, six RBI and four runs scored. The Bristol, Va., native ranks second in the A-Sun with 12 RBI. Lee majors in Sports Management.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week awards weekly during the 2006 baseball campaign.

The 11-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Florida Atlantic, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, North Florida and Stetson.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
• Corey Kluber, Stetson (So. – RHP – Coppel, Texas – Sports Management Major)
Went 2-0 with 0.68 ERA for the week in two starts

• Mickey Storey, Florida Atlantic (So. – RHP – Deerfield Beach, Fla. – Undeclared Major)
Tossed eight scoreless innings and fanned eight batters in 1-0 win over UConn

• Matt Dobbins, Jacksonville (So. – LHP – Longwood, Fla. – Sociology Major)
Won his third consecutive decision after hurling 8.0 scoreless innings in win over Maryland