Monday, April 06, 2009

MACON, Ga. - In a six-game week, UNF’s Kevin Martin put up a pair of five RBI games and finished with 18 to claim the Player of the Week award. On the pitching side, Kennesaw State’s Kyle Heckathorn won the first game of the Owls’ sweep of first-place Lipscomb to earn the Pitcher of the Week award, the conference office announced on Monday.

Martin had the most prolific stretch of his career last week in games against Campbell, Central Florida and ETSU. In six games, the junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hit .409 (9-for-22) and crushed four home runs to go along with 18 RBI, four runs scored and two doubles. In two of the games he drove in five runs. The first came against Campbell on March 30, punctuated by a three-run homer. His other five RBI game came against ETSU on Saturday when he went 2-for-3 with another three-run home run to go along with a two-run shot. Martin, a civil engineering major, drove in at least one run in every game last week and finished the weekend against ETSU with nine RBI. His slugging percentage for the week was an eye-popping 1.045. Since UNF made the move up to Division I, no Osprey has produced as many RBI in a week as Martin, who moved to the fringe of the top 10 in the conference.

Facing a showdown with the first-place Lipscomb Bisons, Kennesaw State’s Kyle Heckathorn , the conference’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year, came within a strike of a complete game, going 8.2 innings with one earned run allowed. The junior from Ringgold, Ga., matched up with Lipscomb’s Rex Brothers in a showcase of two of the conference’s top starters and gave up eight hits and three walks but struck out nine in earning a 2-1 victory. His victory set the tone for a three-game sweep that propelled the Owls to the top of the standings. His teammates, Chad Jenkins and Justin Edwards backed up Heckathorn’s gem, combining to strike out 17 Bisons while allowing just one run in 14.2 innings pitched

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers

Chas Byrne, ETSU (So. - RHP - Johnson City, Tenn. - Sports Management) – Shut down Tennessee as he picked up his third win; Limited the Vols to three runs (one earned) on four hits and stuck out a season high seven batters in 6.2 innings. The win was the third straight for ETSU against Tennessee.

Jeremy Cruz, Stetson (Sr. - 3B - Miami - Sports Management) -- Led Hatters to series sweep of USC Upstate. Hit a home run in each of the three games, finished with ten RBI on weekend; Extended his hitting streak to 17 games (.448, 30-for-67, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, six doubles during the streak).

Hunter Ford, Campbell (Jr. - LHP - Wilmington, N.C. - Kinesiology) -- Picked up two wins on the week, his first two wins of 2009. Ford earned a win in relief at High Point, pitching 2.1 innings giving up just three hits. Ford continued with a seven-inning complete game against Savannah State.

Nick DiMauro, Mercer (Jr. - SS - Boca Raton, Fla. - Business Management) -- Entering Saturday with one career home run, DiMauro hit three in Mercer’s final two games with FGCU. For the week, collected eight RBI and led the Bears with a .950 slugging percentage while hitting .400 (8-for-20).

Matt Loosen, Jacksonville (So. - RHP - New Hyde Park, N.Y. - Business) -- For the week, Loosen earned a no-decision after allowing one unearned run while scattering two hits and striking out eight batters in 7.1 innings against Belmont.

Tim Roberson, FGCU (So. - 3B/C - West Palm Beach, Fla. - Criminal Justice) -- Hit .727 (16-for-22) as the Eagles went 3-2. Scored seven runs, had four doubles, two home runs, seven RBI, slugged 1.182, and posted a .750 on-base percentage. At Mercer, hit .714 with two home runs, and six RBI.

Daniel Wagner, Belmont (Jr. - 2B - China Grove, N.C. - Music Business) -- Had two hits, runs and RBI in Belmont's 15-6 win against Vanderbilt on Apr. 1. In Saturday’s doubleheader with JU, He collected four hits and seven RBI. In game two, he hit a pair of home runs in Belmont’s 10-run second inning.