Monday, March 05, 2007

Macon, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference office announced that Jacksonville outfielder, Pete Clifford, has been named the Player of the Week, and ETSU right-handed pitcher, Caleb Glafenhein, has been named the Pitcher of the Week.

This is the first Player of the Week award given to a member of the Jacksonville baseball team this year. This is the first Pitcher of the Week award given to an ETSU pitcher this season. ETSU’s Justin Aughey won Player of the Week on Feb. 12.

Pete Clifford, Jacksonville (Sr. – OF – Jacksonville, Fla. – Business Major): Clifford broke out of his early season slump in a big way while also helping the Dolphins snap a four-game slide with two consecutive wins over La Salle. Against Georgia Southern, he finished 4-for-4 with in a loss to the Eagles. In game three against La Salle, he went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI to lead the Dolphins to a 6-2 win. In the finale, he went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple and two RBI to lead a 14-4 route. With his recent streak, he has successfully raised his batting average from .194 to .382 since Feb. 18 and has tallied a nine-game hitting streak. For the week Clifford batted .650 (13-20), with three doubles, a triple, eight runs, four RBI, 18 total bases, a .900 slugging percentage and a .696 OBP.

Caleb Glafenhein, ETSU (Sr. - RHP – Knoxville, Tenn. - Finance Major): Glafenhein went 1-0 with two saves on the week, throwing 9 1/3 scoreless innings and holding opponents to a .171 batting average, and striking out four while walking none. The senior pitched a perfect ninth inning against Furman to open the week, closing out the Bucs’ 5-3 victory. He came on with two outs in the eighth inning against Kent State to open the Coca-Cola Classic at Winthrop University and recorded the final four outs in a 2-0 ETSU win; securing the first Buccaneer shutout in two years. The Knoxville native took to the mound to start Saturday’s contest against Temple, throwing seven scoreless innings in a 12-0 Buc romp, as ETSU shutout back-to-back Division I opponents for the first time in 26 years. On the season the finance major is 4-0 with three saves and a 3.38 ERA and an 8:1 strikeout to walk ratio, while appearing in eight of ETSU’s 13 games.

Pete Clifford earned first team all-A-Sun honors in 2006 after ranking second in runs scored and doubles, third in stolen bases, fifth in walks, ninth in hits and 10th in total bases in the conference.

Caleb Glafenhein changed his delivery from over-the-top to sidearm at the start of the 2006 conference season. He totaled a 5.82 ERA after the transition with a 1-3 record and 18 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched. Glafenhein was named to the 2006 All-Tournament Team after posting a 1-1 record and a 1.38 ERA in three appearances.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player and Pitcher of the Week awards weekly during the 2007 baseball season.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.

Other Top Performers

Jimmy Glanville, UNF (Sr. – 1B – Jacksonville, Fla. – Public Relations)
Glanville batted .455 with a double, a home run, three runs scored and seven RBIs last week in four games.

Caleb Joseph, Lipscomb (So. – C/3B – Franklin, Tenn. – Marketing Major)
Went 8-21 with 4 doubles, 6 RBI, and 4 runs for the week. Lipscomb took two of three games at LSU.

Brandon McCall, Belmont (So. – 3B – Spring Hill, Tenn. – Undecided)
McCall led the team to a 3-1 record for the week with two three-hit games and a two-hit outing.

Matt Rizzuto, GWU (So. – 2B – Wilmington, N.C. – Undecided)
Rizzuto hit safely in all 5 games batting .476 (10-21) with 7 RBI, 6 runs scored, 1 double, 1 triple and was 3 for 3 in steals.

Josh Thompson, Mercer (Sr. – C – Pineview, Ga. – MBA)
For the week, Thompson went 7-for-16 (.438) with 5 RBI, 3 runs, 2 doubles and 1 home run.

Jace Whitmer, KSU (Fr. – C/DH – Kennesaw, Ga. – Undecided)
For the week, Thompson went 7-for-16 (.438) with 5 RBI, 3 runs, 2 doubles and 1 home run.

Robbie Elsemiller, Stetson (Jr. – RHP – Okeechobee, Fla. – Undecided)
Elsemiller earned save in Friday night's 5-4 win over Notre Dame with two scoreless innings.

Brad Johnson, UNF (Sr. – LHP –Tampa, Fla. –Civil Engineering)
Johnson struck out 10 and allowed just four hits and one earned run in 10 innings of work. He had a CG win vs. Bethune-Cookman.

Charles Lee, Belmont (Sr. – RHP – Brentwood, Tenn. –Accounting)
Lee struck out a career-high 12 batters in start against Butler. He allowed three hits and one earned run in an inning against Ole Miss.

Brantley New, Mercer (Sr. – RHP – Dublin, Ga. – Business Management)
For the week, New went 1-0, allowing 1 run, 0 earned runs, and 4 hits. New struck out 5 batters and only walked 1.

Rob Smithson, Lipscomb (Sr. – RHP – Franklin, Tenn. – Mechanical Engineering)
Complete game win vs. MTSU. Smithson struck out 8 batters and walked 2.