SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Southern Conference today named Georgia Southern’s Greg Dowling the league’s baseball Player of the Week, while Davidson’s Jay Heafner was tabbed as the conference’s Pitcher of the Week.
In four games last week, the Eagles’ Dowling hit .636, going 7-for-11 at the plate. The Marietta, GA, native scored five runs and drove in another three. Dowling walked six times and was hit by a pitch, finishing the week with a .778 on-base percentage. The first baseman, who also had a .818 slugging percentage, didn’t commit an error in 38 total chances.
The Wildcats’ Heafner had a hand in three of the team’s four wins last week, recording three saves. The senior from Lincolnton, NC, opened the week by striking out the side in the ninth against Georgetown to preserve a 5-2 victory. He then struck out a batter and allowed a single in an inning of work to seal a 7-5 win. Heafner then fanned one in an inning of work against Niagara to hold onto a 13-11 Davidson victory. In 3.0 total innings of work, Heafner struck out five, walked one and gave up two hits for his three saves.
Others considered for the Player of the Week award included Appalachian State’s Wes Borden (hit .500 in four games and drove in six runs), College of Charleston’s Chris Campbell (6-for-13 with seven RBIs in three games), The Citadel’s Sonny Meade (hit .412 with two RBIs and four runs scored in four games), Davidson’s Ronnie Shore (was 7-for-14 with seven runs and four stolen bases in four games), Elon’s Adam Weaver (3 multi-hit games and five RBIs in five games), Furman’s Case Cassedy (hit .409 and drove in eight runs in six games), UNC Greensboro’s Guy Welsh (went 5-for-7 with three RBIs and three runs in loss to Missouri State), Western Carolina’s Scott Ward (batted .467 in three games at Stetson Invitational) and Wofford’s J.D. Melton (hit game-winning home run in the second game of a DH against Albany).
Others considered for Pitcher of the Week were Appalachian State’s Jason Rook (11 strikeouts over 7.0 innings in win over Army), College of Charleston’s Nick Chigges (6.0 innings of two hit relief in getting win over Virginia), The Citadel’s Link Saunders (was 1-1 with two saves and a 0.00 ERA in four appearances), Elon’s Lance Cole (struck out five and walked one in 7.0 innings of work in win over Auburn), Georgia Southern’s Josh Lairsey (struck out four in 5.2 innings of work in win over Marshall), Western Carolina’s Tyler Sexton (picked up win over Stetson, striking out three in 7.0 innings) and Wofford’s J.D. Melton (recorded a win and a save in DH sweep of Albany).