Date Posted: 4/30/2007

This Week in A-Sun Baseball

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Matchup of the Week

May 4-6
ETSU at #22 Stetson
DeLand, Fla.

The Bucs, losers of 5 of their last 6 conference games, head to DeLand to face the first-place Hatters. ETSU and Stetson both lost their only game played this past week to Tennessee and Miami, Fla. The Bucs currently sit in 4th place in the A-Sun, but are in position to make a move this weekend with Belmont and Mercer not in action. The Hatters look to get back in the swing of things after a weekend off and a drop in the national rankings. Two of the conferences top pitchers, Corey Kluber and Chris Ingoglia will look to shut down ETSU’s top offensive performer, Anthony Russell.

A-Sun Player of the Week
Billy Shaughnessy, Mercer (Jr. – SS – Roswell, Ga. – Finance/Economics)
Shaughnessy hit .500 (8-16) with 5 runs, 4 RBI, three doubles, 10 total bases, a .688 slugging percentage, a .556 OBP and three stolen bases. Shaughnessy has taken over the team lead with a .335 batting average. He also made numerous outstanding defensive plays over the last week. Shaughnessy saved his best for the weekend series versus Kennesaw State hitting .615 with four RBI, scoring four runs, notching three doubles and all three of his stolen bases for the week. For the season, Shaughnessy is hitting .335 with one home run, 22 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

A-Sun Pitcher of the Week
Blake Herring, Campbell (Sr. – RHP – Snow Hill, N.C. – Physical Education)
Herring pitched his fourth complete game of the year, scattering five hits and two runs in a Camel victory against Gardner-Webb. Herring struck out 8 Bulldogs in the Fighting Camels win. It was also the senior's sixth complete game in just under two seasons with CU. Herring is just 2-4 in his complete games, but Saturday's effort moved him in a tie for the A-Sun lead in the category. For the season, Herring is 3-7 with a 6.11 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 73.2 innings pitched.

Nothing New
Mercer senior right-handed pitcher, Brantley New, continues to shine picking up a win over Kennesaw State tossing eight innings with seven strikeouts, while surrendering one run on five hits and one walk. Over his last 10 starts, New sports a 2.22 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 69 innings of work. During that span, he holds a record of 5-1.

A-Sun Record Watch
- Only 34 batters have finished a season with a batting average over .400. Two Kennesaw State Owls are hanging around the impressive mark. Jacob Robbins leads the A-Sun with a .395 average, while teammate Martin Baker is right behind him at .385.
- Lipscomb's Caleb Joseph is currently tied for 11th on the single-season doubles list with 24. Joseph needs one double to move into the top ten. Stetson's Frank Corr set the record with 34 doubles in 2000.
- Fifteen pitchers have finished a season with a sub 2.00 ERA. Lipscomb's reliever Brandon McClurg has tossed 64.2 innings accumulating a 1.95 ERA to this point of the season.
- ETSU's Caleb Glafenhein has a nation-leading 12 wins. That total currently puts him at 10th place all-time in the A-Sun. Joey Hamilton of Georgia Southern set the record with 18 wins in 1990.
- Stetson's Robbie Elsemiller has 30 career saves which puts him in 2nd place for career saves in the Atlantic Sun.
- Elsemiller and Mercer's Cory Gearrin both sit at 11 saves for the season, which places them 17th in the A-Sun recordbook. Jamie Emiliano of Florida International set the single-season record with 16 saves in 1995.
- Belmont's Wilson Tucker currently sits tied for 10th on the career hits list with 264 hits.
- Tucker's career batting average is currently .368, which ties him for 11th all-time.
- Stetson's Chris Ingoglia has 76 career appearances. Two more will tie him for 7th on the all-time list.

The Road to DeLand if the Championship Began Today
#1 Stetson
#2 Belmont (2-1 vs. Mercer)
#3 Mercer (1-2 vs. Belmont)
#4 ETSU(1-2 vs. Bel, 0-3 vs. Lip)
#5 Lipscomb (3-0 vs. ETSU, 2-1 vs. Mer, 1-2 vs. Bel)
#6 Jacksonville (2-1 vs. GWU)
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#7 Gardner-Webb (1-2 vs. JU, 2-1 vs. Lip)
#8 Campbell

UNF and Kennesaw State not eligible during reclassifying seasons.

A-Sun Standings

A-Sun Players of the Week

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League Leaders

Team-by-Team Notes

2007 ATLANTIC SUN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY PROGRESS ENERGY
Melching Field at Conrad Park: One of the most picturesque, fan-friendly stadiums in the nation, Melching Field at Conrad Park will host the Atlantic Sun Championship for the sixth consecutive season. At a cost of $4.5 million, Melching Field was the result of a joint effort between Stetson University, DeLand Sports Redevelopment Association and the City of DeLand. Built on the same site as old Conrad Park, Melching Field opened on Feb. 12, 1999 as the Hatters defeated Louisville 4-3 before an overflow crowd of 2,874 fans.

2007 Atlantic Sun Championship Presented by Progress Energy