Baseball Southern Conference

Brandt, Bakker Earn Weekly Baseball Honors

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Davidson center fielder Forrest Brandt and Elon right-hander Lucas Bakker have been named the Southern Conference player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all games March 3-9. The selections are made by the league office.

Brandt hit .471 in five games on the week, helping the Wildcats (7-6) to a 4-1 week. The senior from Raleigh, N.C., had eight RBIs and scored five runs. He had three doubles and one home run among his eight hits. Brandt also drew four walks.

Against No. 16 North Carolina on Wednesday, Brandt was 1-for-3 with a walk. In a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, Brandt went 7-for-14 as the Wildcats won all four games.

Brandt was 1-for-4 in Saturday’s first game against North Carolina A&T then went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs and two runs scored against Massachusetts later in the day. On Sunday, he was 4-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored in the 9-8 win over the Minutemen. He had two doubles and a homer and fell a triple short of the cycle, reaching base a career-high nine times.

Davidson has the week off before hosting The Citadel for a three-game SoCon set at Wilson Field starting Friday.

Other top hitters included: Dillon Dobson (Appalachian State), Tyler Griffin (The Citadel), Stryker Brown (Georgia Southern), Brandon Powell (Samford), Dykota Spiess (Western Carolina) and Conor Clancey (Wofford).

Elon won its third straight pitcher of the week honor, as Bakker threw a five-hit complete game against Minnesota at the Chanticleer Classic on Saturday. The junior righty from Deception Bay, Queensland, Australia, struck out six and did not walk a batter. Bakker allowed two runs, neither of which was earned, as the Phoenix topped the Golden Gophers 5-2.

The complete game was Bakker’s first in an Elon uniform after transferring from North Iowa Area Community College prior to the season.

Bakker’s teammate Jake Stalzer earned the SoCon’s weekly pitching honors the previous two weeks.

The Phoenix (10-5) is back in action Monday against UMBC.

Other top pitchers included: Tyler Moore (Appalachian State), Skylar Hunter (The Citadel), Danny Mooney (Davidson), Matthew Quarles (Furman), Matt McCall (Georgia Southern), Max Povse (UNCG), Alex Ledford (Samford), T.J. Fussell (Western Carolina) and Jordan Accetta (Wofford).

2014 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 17    Heath Quinn, Samford
Feb. 24    Stryker Brown, Georgia Southern
March 3    Aaron Mizell, Georgia Southern
March 10    Forrest Brandt, Davidson

2014 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 17    Jeremy Null, Western Carolina
Feb. 24    Jake Stalzer, Elon
March 3    Jake Stalzer, Elon
March 10    Lucas Bakker, Elon

-www.SoConSports.com-