SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Southern Conference today named Furman’s Tony Maccani the league’s baseball Player of the Week, while teammate Nick Hollstegge was tabbed as the conference’s Pitcher of the Week.
In three games last week with victories over Coastal Carolina (twice) and West Virginia, Maccani batted .455 (5-for-11) with a double, home run and three RBIs. The junior catcher from Cincinnati, OH, also had an .818 slugging percentage and had a 1.000 fielding percentage in 23 total chances. Maccani drove in a pair of runs in the Paladins’ six-run third inning in Friday’s 7-2 win over the Chanticleers, and that was after a 3-for-4 performance two days prior in a 9-6 win over the defending Big South champion.
The Paladins’ Hollstegge notched a pair of saves in two of Furman’s three wins last week. The Cincinnati, OH, native recorded one save against Coastal Carolina last Wednesday against West Virginia and the other versus Coastal Carolina on Friday. In 2.0 innings of scoreless ball, the right-handed hurler struck out two and allowed only two hits.
Others considered for the Player of the Week award included Appalachian State’s Joey Robinson (7-for-16 with five RBIs in four games last week), College of Charleston’s Jess Easterling (two home runs and a .462 average in four games), The Citadel’s Chris Swauger (scored seven runs, drove in three and hit .333 in five games), Davidson’s Alden Crissey (was 12-for-24 with seven RBIs in six games), Elon’s Chris Vasami (4-for-6 with three homers and five RBIs against Siena), Georgia Southern’s Justin Klinger (.375 average last week with eight RBIs) and Wofford’s Bradford Eaves (hit .357 with three extra base hits).
Others considered for Pitcher of the Week were College of Charleston’s Nick Chigges (earned win over Georgia State after pitching 7.1 innings of work, allowing four hits and striking out six), The Citadel’s Link Saunders (registered two saves against Princeton and another versus Le Moyne), Davidson’s Bobby DeMuro (notched a save and recorded a 2.57 ERA in two appearances), Elon’s Matt Chastain (tied career high with 6 Ks in eight innings in win over Siena), Georgia Southern’s Everett Teaford (had a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finished with a no decision against Michigan, striking out seven in 7.2 innings of work).