Monday, March 12, 2007

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

This is the second Player of the Week award in a row won by Clifford. The last time the same player won the award two weeks in a row was in 2003 when Jacksonville’s, Chad Hauseman accomplished the feat on back-to-back weeks in April. This is the first Pitcher of the Week award given to a GWU pitcher since Ben Campbell won the award last season on March 27.

Pete Clifford, Jacksonville (Sr. – OF – Jacksonville, Fla. – Business Major): Clifford continued his hot bat last week to almost single handedly lead the Dolphins to a 5-1 week and get JU over .500 for the first time since early February. Against Florida, Clifford had one hit, but it was a big one, as his solo home run tied the game in the seventh to set up a ninth inning rally by the Dolphins and a 6-5 win at McKethan Stadium. Clifford went yard again against UConn on March 9, this time with the bags full of Dolphins to help JU to a 5-4 win. Against Western Michigan on March 11, Clifford went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead a 15-3 rout. Also included in his week, he extended his hitting streak to a career-high tying 16 games.

For the week, Clifford batted .381 (8-21) with two doubles, two home runs, eight runs, nine RBI, 16 total bases and a .762 slugging percentage.

Matt Tafazzoli (Sr. - RHP – Charlotte, N.C. – Business Administration): Tafazzoli hurled 7.0 scoreless innings of relief to lift Gardner-Webb to an improbable, 6-2, win at the University of Georgia on Saturday night in a 17-inning marathon - picking up his first pitching victory of the season. The Charlotte, N.C., right-hander fanned two batters and scattered four singles to leave GWU with a chance to pull out the victory late. He threw 100 pitches out of the pen - and his workmanlike performance allowed GWU to eat up 16 of the game's 17 innings with just two pitchers, leaving the bullpen fresh for Sunday's finale (which GWU also won).

For the week Tafazzoli went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched (relief). He struck out 2 and walked 2 (.174 opponent BA). Tafazzoli pitched the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th innings of a 17-inning victory.

Pete Clifford, a preseason All-Atlantic Sun selection, 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.

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

Justin Aughey, ETSU (Sr. – C/DH – Davie, Fla. – Criminal Justice)
Aughey hit .389 for the week with two doubles, four runs scored and six RBI while slugging .500.

Carlton Floyd, Campbell (So. – OF – Riegelwood, N.C. –Pharmacy)
In game one against Holy Cross, Floyd rapped out three doubles and in game two was a double short of the cycle.

Kane Simmons, Belmont (Sr. – OF – Signal Mountain, Tenn. – Exercise Science and Health Promotion)
Belted two solo homers and scored three runs on Friday against Eastern Illinois.

Adam Tindle, Stetson (Sr. – OF – Longwood, Fla. – Finance)
Batted .538 (14-26) with 4 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 runs, .769 slugging %, and .571 OBP for the week.

Steve Karwatt, Mercer (So. – 3B – Sarasota, Fla. – Economics)
Went 4-for-15 (.267) with 7 runs, 5 RBI and 2 home runs

Martin Baker, KSU (So. – CF – Birmingham, Ala. – Exercise and Health Science)
Baker had a great week for KSU as he batted .500 and led the Owls to a 3-1 week.

Robbie Elsemiller, Stetson (Jr. – RHP – Okeechobee, Fla. – Undecided)
Had a hand in all three of Stetson's wins this week with two saves and a victory surrendering just two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Glenn Witkowski, Jacksonville (Fr. – Reliever – Pembroke Pines, Fla. – Business)
Went 1-0 in three appearances with a 0.00 ERA, a save, two strikeouts and a .154 opponent batting average in 4.1 innings of relief.

Kyle Heckathorn, KSU (Fr. – Pitcher – Ringgold, Ga. –Undecided)
Went 6 innings for the win over Charleston Southern, striking out 7 batters, allowing no runs and 2 hits.

Cory Gearrin, Mercer (Jr. – RHP – Dayton, Tenn. – Political Science)
Accumulated 3 Saves in 5 innings pitched, striking out 9 batters, walking 4. Gearrin didn’t allow a run or a hit.

Blake Herring, Campbell (Sr. – RHP – Snow Hill, N.C. – Sports Management)
Herring struck out 12 Crusaders, the most by a Camel pitcher since 2000, in recording his first win of the season.

Brandon Langston, ETSU (Jr. – Pitcher – Ringgold, Ga. – Interdisciplinary Studies)
The junior went eight innings, striking out three, scattering six hits and allowing just one run earning the win over High Point.