SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Western Carolina second baseman Ross Heffley has been named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week while Furman right-handed pitcher Bobby Lyne has been selected as the league's Pitcher of the Week for all games from May 16-21.
Heffley led Western Carolina to a three-game sweep over The Citadel, landing the Catamounts in the SoCon tournament. The junior batted .700 through three games (7-for-10) with multi-hit games in all three. Heffley homered twice, including one that gave WCU the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth inning of Saturday's finale versus the Bulldogs. The Snellville, Ga., native also drew three walks and two intentional free passes to bolster his .714 on-base percentage while tallying a 1.300 slugging percentage.
Lyne fashioned his top pitching performance of the season, throwing 8.0 shutout innings and limiting SoCon regular season champion Elon to only two hits in a 3-0 road blanking of the Phoenix on May 18. The junior, who hails from Mt. Carmel, Ill., allowed just a pair singles to Elon's Garrett Koster. He fanned three Phoenix hitters while issuing one bases on balls.
Other hitters receiving consideration were Georgia Southern's Victor Roache, Samford's Michael Johnson, UNCG's Ray Quinones, Appalachian State's Will Callaway, College of Charleston's Rob Kral, Elon's Niko Fraser and Wofford's Konstantine Diamaduros.
Other top performers among pitchers were Western Carolina's Jordan Smith, UNCG's Colby Hyatt, Appalachian State's Ryan Arrowood, College of Charleston's Josh Renfro, Elon's Dylan Clark, Georgia Southern's Andy Moye, Samford's Josh Martin and Wofford's Cash Collins.
2011 SoCon Baseball Players of the Week
Feb. 21 Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
Feb. 28 Steve Cochrane, Georgia Southern
March 7 Neal Pritchard, Elon
March 14 Mac Doyle, Wofford
March 21 Saxon Butler, Samford
March 28 Mac Doyle, Wofford
April 4 Victor Roache, Georgia Southern
April 11 Daniel Aldrich, College of Charleston
April 18 Victor Roache, Georgia Southern
April 25 Stephen Notaro, Western Carolina
May 2 Matt Leeds, College of Charleston
Sebastian Gomez, Elon
May 9 Preston Troutman, Appalachian State
May 16 Cody Walker, UNCG
May 23 Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
2011 SoCon Baseball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 21 Tyler Wood, Furman
Feb. 28 Lawrence Pardo, Appalachian State
March 7 Chris Lamb, Davidson
March 14 Chris Beck, Georgia Southern
March 21 Dylan Cole, Furman
March 28 Lex Rutledge, Samford
April 4 Ryan Arrowood, Appalachian State
April 11 Nathan Hyatt, Appalachian State
April 18 Ryan Arrowood, Appalachian State
Logan Cribb, The Citadel
April 25 Taylor Miller, Appalachian State
May 2 Thomas Girdwood, Elon
May 9 Cash Collins, Wofford
May 16 Warren Slack, UNCG
May 23 Bobby Lyne, Furman