Baseball Southern Conference

WCU?s Martin, Null Sweep Weekly Baseball Awards

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina catcher/outfielder Adam Martin has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Week and battery-mate Jeremy Null has been named the SoCon Pitcher of the Week for all games April 15-21. The selections are made by the league office.

Martin hit a staggering .727 with four walks, seven RBIs and five runs scored as the Catamounts went 4-0 last week with a win over Gardner-Webb and a sweep of Georgia Southern.

The Marietta, Ga., junior had five extra-base hits in the four games, rapping out four doubles and a home run.

In a 9-6 win over the Runnin’ Bulldogs on Wednesday, Martin entered as a pinch-hitter and stayed in to catch. He went 1-for-2 with a three-run homer as the Catamounts picked up the win.

Against Georgia Southern on Friday, Martin was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. The next day, he was 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, a walk and a run scored. He capped his week with another 3-for-3 showing Sunday, hitting a pair of doubles, walking twice, scoring twice and driving in two runs. He started Sunday’s game in right field before moving to catcher and was instrumental in locking up the 7-4 win, catching a foul ball behind the plate and throwing out a runner trying to steal in the ninth.

Other top hitters included: Will Callaway (Appalachian State), Gunnar Heidt (College of Charelston), Hughtson Armstrong (The Citadel), Michael Zeblo (Davidson), Sebastian Gomez (Elon), Taylor Johnson (Furman), Robbie Dodds (Georgia Southern), Christiaan Durdaller (Samford) and Alec Paradowski (Wofford).

Null threw a gem Friday against the Eagles to set the tone for the series, striking out a career-high 14 batters and not issuing a walk in the 9-3 win. He recorded 10 straight outs via strikeout between the fourth and seventh innings.

The sophomore right-hander from Claremont, N.C., allowed three runs on five hits in eight innings in improving to 4-2 on the season.

With his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season, Null moved his season total to a league-best 74 Ks.

He was also named a Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for his performance.

First-place Western Carolina, which has won seven straight games and swept its second straight SoCon opponent, hosts Kennesaw State on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Other top pitchers included: Ryan West (College of Charleston), Logan Cribb (The Citadel), Rob Bain (Davidson), Kyle Webb (Elon), Justin Hess (Georgia Southern), Alex Milazzo (Samford) 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
April 1    Cambric Moye, UNCG
April 8    Ryan Kinsella, Elon
April 15    Brandon Murray, College of Charleston
April 22    Adam Martin, Western Carolina

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
April 1    Sam Agnew-Wieland, Appalachian State
April 8    Sam Agnew-Wieland, Appalachian State
April 15    Brandon Yarusi, Wofford
April 22    Jeremy Null, Western Carolina

-www.SoConSports.com-