Monday, April 12, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Mercer’s Jacob Tanis slammed six home runs and earned Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honors while UNF’s John Atteo earned pitching accolades with two wins in 11 shutout innings. 

Tanis, a sophomore third baseman for Mercer, went 11-for-23 on the week in five games played. The Peachtree City, Ga. native set new career-highs in home runs and RBIs when he clubbed three home runs and tallied seven RBIs in a 15-4 Mercer win against Savannah State. Tanis hit three more home runs in the Bears weekend series against Stetson, including two long balls in game one of its doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The business major leads the A-Sun with 43 runs scored, 59 RBIs, 16 home runs and 118 total bases.

Atteo, a senior left-handed pitcher, led the Ospreys with two wins on the week, including a victory versus No. 7 Florida State and a complete game shutout against A-Sun opponent USC Upstate. The Lake Worth, Fla. native began the week with a controlled start against No. 7 Florida State. Atteo held the Seminoles to one hit (a single) in 2.0 innings of work. The lefty struck out three Noles and tossed a complete game shutout for the Ospreys, marking the third consecutive complete game by the pitching staff and second successive shutout. The criminal justice major scattered eight hits in 9.0 innings of work. Atteo did not allow a run or a walk, while striking out four batters and allowing just one runner past first all day.

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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          
Chas Byrne, ETSU (Jr. - OF - Johnson City, Tenn. - Sports Management) – Byrne, a junior outfielder, had an outstanding week for ETSU as he hit .500 (9-18), and finished 5-for-9 in a big series win over Jacksonville on the road. After making the start for the Bucs on Friday, Byrne limited JU to two earned runs on five hits in 7.0 innings. The sports management major finished 3-for-4 in the final game of the JU series as his two-run triple helped spark an 11-4 win against Jacksonville to clinch the series.

Chris Sale, FGCU (Jr. - LHP - Lakeland, Fla. - Criminal Justice) – Sale, a junior left-hander, finished last week with a 1-0 record and also picked up his first save of the season. The Lakeland, Fla. native picked up the save at FIU after pitching 1.0 inning and striking out one batter in FGCU's 10-7 win. The junior lefty started game one of a three-game set with Campbell last weekend. Sale went a solid eight innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits to go with five strikeouts as the Eagles picked up the 13-9 victory. Sale improved to 5-0 on the year with the win.

Davey Hackett, Lipscomb (So. - RHP - Brentwood, Tenn. - Communications) – Hackett pitched both his first career collegiate shutout and complete game Saturday in a 6-0 victory versus Kennesaw State. The win guaranteed the Bisons a winning series, their first against an A-Sun team this season. Hackett gave up two runs at Tennessee Tech in rare relief appearance.

Preston Hale, UNF (Sr. - OF - Lakeland, Fla. - Criminal Justice) – Hale hit .421 on the week, helping UNF to a 4-1 record including a win over No. 7 Florida State and a three-game sweep of A-Sun opponent USC Upstate. The junior outfielder had a team-high eight hits on the week, including a pair of doubles and a home run. Hale scored three runs on the week while driving in a team-best 10 RBIs. The Lakeland, Fla. native drew five walks on the week for an on-base percentage of .542 and boasted a .684 slugging percentage. Hale hit safely in all five games on the week, including a pair of multi-hit games

Sean Emory, Stetson (Jr. - OF - Miami, Fla. - Finance) – Emory led Stetson to its second consecutive A-Sun series sweep. Against Mercer, the Miami, Fla. native hit .643 (9-for-14), including two home runs in Friday's 6-5 win. Emory owns a 23-41 (.561) streak over the past nine games, raising his season batting average from .179 to .340.