Monday, May 16, 2011

MACON, Ga. - Ronnie Freeman’s bat stayed hot all week as Kennesaw State earned their first Atlantic Sun Championship berth while Mercer’s Justice French posted an ERA under 1.00 in two appearances as the duo won the A-Sun’s Player and Pitcher of the Week awards, the conference announced on Monday.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Ronnie Freeman, Kennesaw State (C – So. – Lawrenceville, Ga. – Exercise and Health Science)

• Third A-Sun Player of the Week award; second award this season
• Hit .471 (8-for-17) with three home runs and 10 RBI as Kennesaw State swept UNF and beat Western Carolina
• Totaled a 1.059 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage as he reached base 12 times
• Recorded three multi-hit games and scored six runs over the four games.
• In the first game of doubleheader with UNF he homered twice and drove in five runs
• Knocked in nine runs in the Owls postseason-clinching three-game sweep vs the Ospreys

OTHER NOMINEES:
• Andrew Green (OF, ETSU) – Hit. 522 (12-for-23) and increased hit streak to 13 games
• Blake Green (OF, USC Upstate) – Became Spartans’ single-season hits leader with 87
• Jacob Tanis (3B, Mercer) – Hit .529 and drove in nine runs as Bears went 4-0
• Nate Woods (1B/DH, Belmont) – Hit .588 with three home runs and seven RBI

PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Justice French, Mercer (SP/RP – Sr. – Suwanee, Ga. – Media Studies)

• First A-Sun Pitcher of the Week award
• In for his first relief appearance of the year, picked up the win after throwing four scoreless innings Georgia
• Mercer scored its first victory against Georgia since 1992
• Bears earned their third win against an RPI top-50 squad this season
• Started against USC Upstate and allowed just one earned run on seven hits to go along with six strikeouts in 6.2 innings

OTHER NOMINEES:
• Derek Bushey (SP, ETSU) – Secured series win vs Campbell; allowed one run in six innings
• Chad Fromm (RP, Lipscomb) – Earned save vs Stetson; struck out seven in four innings
• Matt Hamann (SP, Belmont) – Threw six shutout innings vs FGCU to improve to 7-1
• Steve Janas (SP/RP, Kennesaw State) – Beat Western Carolina and UNF for first two wins

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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 five 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.