SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Georgia Southern catcher Griffin Benedict has been named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week while College of Charleston starting pitcher David Peterson has been chosen as the league’s Pitcher of the Week for all games from March 2-8.
Benedict batted .647 (11-for-17) last week and tied an NCAA record by hitting two home runs in the same inning during a 14-4 win over No. 20 East Carolina. He scored six runs and drove in seven in four games last week. Benedict set a career-high going 5-for-5 at the plate and tied a career-high of six RBI against the Pirates on Sunday.
Overall he leads the GSU offense, hitting attack at a .476 clip with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. The Preseason All-America pick also owns a .542 on-base percentage and .690 slugging percentage.
Peterson, a right-hander, posted a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA over two starts. He allowed no runs on eight hits over 12 innings of work. He walked none and struck out eight.
Peterson beat Xavier, 9-2, on Tuesday working five innings allowing only one hit with a strikeout. In Sunday's 7-1 win over UNCG, he worked seven innings allowing seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Peterson anchored a Charleston starting staff that posted a 3-0 record and a 0.43 ERA in its weekend sweep of UNC Greensboro.
The SoCon’s weekly awards are voted on by the league’s baseball sports information directors.
Other hitters earning consideration for the award were Western Carolina’s Nick Liles, College of Charleston’s Matt Mansilla, Samford’s Mason Meredeth, Elon’s Zeth Stone, Davidson’s Zach Kayne, Wofford’s Konstantine Diamaduros, Appalachian State’s Isaac Harrow, and The Citadel’s Nick Orvin.
Other pitchers nominated were Samford’s Michael Jarry, Western Carolina’s Daniel Ottone, Elon’s Ken Ferrer, Furman’s Jay Friedman, Davidson’s Thomas Middour, The Citadel’s Matt Talley, Georgia Southern’s Andy Moye and Wofford’s Bobby DeLuria.
2009 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 23 Joash Brodin, College of Charleston
March 2 Justin Hilt, Elon
March 9 Griffin Benedict, Georgia Southern
2009 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 23 Zach Garrett, The Citadel
March 2 Daniel Ottone, Western Carolina
March 9 David Peterson, College of Charleston