Monday, March 01, 2010

MACON, Ga. - Jacksonville won all three games it played at the JU Invitational with Alex Martinez leading the way at the plate and Chris Kaminski on the hill. The Dolphins posted wins in all three of their non-conference games over the weekend including an upset of No. 20 Oklahoma. For their efforts, Martinez picked Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honors and Kaminski earn Pitcher of the Week honors. 

Martinez stood as a big part of a tremendous weekend for JU as the Dolphins finished the week with a 3-1 record, while also earning a win against No. 20 Oklahoma. For the week, Martinez batted .467 (7-15) with four doubles, a home run, seven RBI, 14 total bases, a .933 slugging percentage and a .529 on-base percentage. Against College of Charleston, the Mohegan, N.Y. native went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI., and  2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI as JU won, 10-8, against Richmond. Martinez went 1-for-3 with a run in a 4-3 win against the Sooners before ending the weekend by going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run while tying a career-high with four RBI. With his weekend, the sociology major is riding a seven-game hitting streak.

Kaminski earned preseason A-Sun honors as a relief pitcher but due to injuries, he has served several roles. After earning his first career start last weekend, Kaminski went back to what he does best - closing games. In two appearances last week, the Richmond, Texas native notched a win against Richmond and then turned around the next night to earn his first save of the year against No. Oklahoma.

Against the Spiders, Kaminski entered with the game tied (8-8) in the sixth inning and runners on first and third with two outs. The finance major would go on to hurl 2.1 innings of scoreless relief while allowing only one hit with four strikeouts as the Dolphins scored two runs in the seventh to earn a 10-8 win. Against the Sooners, JU held a late lead and needed its best arm to return to the hill in consecutive nights.  Kaminski did not disppoint as he threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with only one hit allowed. For the week, Kaminski tallied a 1-0 mark with a 0.00 ERA and one save in two appearances, while notching five strikeouts and allowing only two hits and no walks in 3.2 innings.

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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
Riche Erath, FGCU (Jr. - RHP - West Palm Beach, Fla. - Business Management) – Erath led the Eagles to a victory in game one of FGCU's Saturday doubleheader against the Pioneers of Sacred Heart University at Swanson Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Pioneers in game one, 7-4. The junior right hander pitched five innings of no-hit baseball, recording nine strikeouts in the winning effort. The junior’s record improved to 2-0 on the year.

Jacob Tanis, Mercer (So. - 3B - Peachtree City, Ga. - Business) – Tanis went 9-for-18 in Mercer’s four-game weekend series against Evansville. The sophomore finished at 3-for-5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI in the Bears’ 6-4 win in game two of Mercer's doubleheader against Evansville on Saturday. Tanis ranks second in the conference in slugging percentage (.806) and first in the A-Sun in RBI (16) and home runs (4).

Tyler Cook, USC Upstate (So. - OF - Bloomington, Ind. - Business Administration) - Coming into the week without an RBI in his career, Cook drove in a run in each of USC Upstate's five games this week, leading the Spartans to three wins over teams that won their conference championships in 2009. The Bloomington, Ind. native posted two hits, two runs and three RBI, hitting his first career homer in 9-7 win at defending CAA Champion Georgia State on Tuesday. The sophomore added a run and drove in the game-winning run with a seventh-inning double in 8-5 win against Georgia State on Wednesday.

Josh Davis, Belmont (Fr. - RHP - Fayetteville, Ga. - Undeclared) – Davis earned the win in his first appearance (relief) for Belmont on Friday against Eastern Illinois. The freshman entered the game in the third inning with two runners on base, down 3-5, and held EIU scoreless for the remainder of his 5 1/3 inning appearance. Davis held the Panthers to no runs and just two hits with four strikeouts. The Fayetteville, Ga. native helped Belmont win its fourth-straight game with his efforts in the opening game of the EIU series, Belmont swept 3-0.

Scott McNally, ETSU (Fr. - RHP - Marietta, Ga. - Undeclared) – McNally picked up where he left off after winning the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week award last week, throwing four scoreless innings of relief while picking up a conference best third win of the season. The Marietta, Ga. native came into a 6-5 game and held Saint Peter's scoreless as the Bucs completed a 7-6 comeback against the Peacocks. On the season, the freshman has yet to give up a run in 8.1 innings of work.