Baseball Southern Conference

Samford?s C.K. Irby Sweeps Weekly Baseball Honors

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford designated hitter/right-handed pitcher C.K. Irby has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for all games March 18-24. The selections are made by the league office.

Irby becomes the first SoCon player to ever win both awards in the same week. The awards originated in 1989.

In four games last week, Irby hit .562 with a pair of home runs, six RBI and eight runs scored. On the mound, the junior righty threw a complete-game three-hitter, striking out 16 and not walking a batter in a win over Furman on Friday.

At the plate last week, Irby had at least one hit in each contest. He started his week with a 1-for-3 showing with a solo home run against Alabama. The Florence, Ala., native then went 8-for-13 (.615) in a three-game sweep of the Paladins in Greenville, S.C., over the weekend.

In game one of Friday’s doubleheader, Irby was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, his second in as many games and fifth of the season, as the Bulldogs picked up the 9-1 win. Irby was also the starting pitcher in that contest, facing the minimum through the first three innings and scattering three hits. A leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth accounted for the only run Irby allowed in the contest. His 16 strikeouts were the most by a SoCon pitcher this season and tied the school record set by Josh Ehmke on May 13, 2006, at Tennessee Tech.

In game two of the doubleheader, Irby was 1-for-3 with two walks as the Bulldogs won 9-4. Samford completed the sweep Saturday, with Irby saving perhaps his best day at the plate for last. He was 4-for-5 with a walk, a two-run triple, an RBI single, a stolen base and four runs scored as Samford took the 16-6 win.

With the sweep, Samford jumped from ninth in the SoCon standings into a tie for fourth at 5-4 in league play. The Bulldogs are 15-10 overall.

Samford returns to action this weekend at College of Charleston. The teams will play one game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday.

Other top hitters included: Hector Crespo (Appalachian State), Brandon Murray (College of Charleston), Forrest Brandt (Davidson), Sebastian Gomez (Elon), T.D. Davis (Georgia Southern), Julian Ridings (Western Carolina) and James Plaisted (Wofford).

Other top pitchers included: Jamie Nunn (Appalachian State), Jake Zokan (College of Charleston), Spencer Medick (Elon), Justin Hess (Georgia Southern), Jordan Smith (Western Carolina) and Jesse Morris (Wofford).


2013 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 18    Tommy Corbin, Samford
Feb. 25    Josh Hyman, Wofford
March 4    Drew DeKerlegand, The Citadel
March 11    Tyler White, Western Carolina
March 18    Bo Thompson, The Citadel
March 25    C.K. Irby, Samford

2013 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 18    Jamie Nunn, Appalachian State
Feb. 25    Adam Curtis, Western Carolina
March 4    C.K. Irby, Samford
March 11    Nate Smith, Furman
March 18    Kyle Webb, Elon
March 25    C.K. Irby, Samford

-www.SoConSports.com-