SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Elon outfielder Pat Irvine has been named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week while Georgia Southern Pitcher Chris Mederos has been chosen as the league’s Pitcher of the Week for all games from April 13-19.
Irvine picked up his first career SoCon Player of the Week honor after hitting .625 (10-for-16) in a 4-1 week for the Phoenix. He had at least one hit in all five games and posted four multi-hit contests. Irvine also drove in at least one run in every game. He went 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts while posting a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .739 OBP.
Irvine, who entered the week ranking 10th in the nation in slugging and 65th in OBP, currently leads the squad in hitting with a .413 batting average, home runs (13), slugging (.853) and OBP (.539). He is also second on the team with 12 stolen bases.
Irvine is the fourth different Elon player to each SoCon Player of the Week honors this season.
Mederos turned in a season-best outing to start the weekend series against Davidson. He allowed one unearned run on four hits working a season-high eight innings. Mederos walked two and struck out a season-high nine batters, leading the Eagles to a 12-7 SoCon win.
In nine weekend starts, Mederos owns an 8-0 record and 4.14 ERA. He has struck out a SoCon-leading 65 batters in 54.1 innings as opponents are batting .282 against him. Mederos ranks among the nation's leaders in victories and strikeouts per nine innings.
The SoCon’s weekly awards are voted on by the league’s baseball sports information directors.
Other hitters earning consideration for the award were Georgia Southern’s Ty Wright, Samford’s Wayne Miller, UNC Greensboro’s Pedro Leon, Wofford’s Michael Gilmartin, Appalachian State’s Isaac Harrow, Western Carolina’s Brent Greer, Davidson’s Graham Chapman, Furman’s Marcus Rose and The Citadel’s Bryan Altman.
Other pitchers nominated were Appalachian State’s Zach Quate, Elon’s Jimmy Reyes, UNC Greensboro’s Blake Hassebrock, College of Charleston’s Jesse Simpson, Samford’s Kyle Putkonen, Davidson’s Ryan Overcash, Wofford’s Scott Summers, Western Carolina’s Mike Tavernier and The Citadel’s Matt Talley.
2009 SoCon Baseball Players of the Week
Feb. 23 Joash Brodin, College of Charleston
March 2 Justin Hilt, Elon
March 9 Griffin Benedict, Georgia Southern
March 16 Richard Jones, The Citadel
March 23 Stephen Notaro, Western Carolina
March 30 Mike Melillo, Elon and Cole Rakar, College of Charleston
April 6 Chris McGuiness, The Citadel
April 13 Bennett Davis, Elon
April 20 Pat Irvine, Elon
2009 SoCon Baseball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 23 Zach Garrett, The Citadel
March 2 Daniel Ottone, Western Carolina
March 9 David Peterson, College of Charleston
March 16 Jesse Simpson, College of Charleston
March 23 Chris Masters, Western Carolina
March 30 Drew Mahaffey, The Citadel
April 6 Jimmy Reyes, Elon
April 13 Corey Martin, Western Carolina
April 20 Chris Mederos, Georgia Southern