SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford catcher/designated hitter Carson Waln and Samford right-hander Stephen Jones have been named the Southern Conference player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all games from April 24-30. The selections are made by the league office.
Wofford's Waln hit .533 with three home runs, one double, eight RBIs and seven runs scored to help the Terriers to a 2-2 week that included a series win at ETSU. Waln had two hits in each contest and slugged 1.200, with half of his hits going for extra bases.
The senior opened his week with a first-inning RBI double in a loss to Charleston Southern in Lexington, South Carolina, on Tuesday, adding a single later in the contest. In Friday's opener at ETSU, Waln hit a two-run homer in the first and added a sacrifice fly and a single in an eventual 6-5 Bucs win.
Waln was even better the next day, hitting another first-inning, two-run home run duplicating the feat in the third inning as the Terriers picked up a 14-5 win. In Sunday's rubber game, the Atlanta, Georgia, native was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and four runs scored to help Wofford to the 11-8 win and series victory.
The weekly award is the first of Waln's career.
Wofford (24-20, 9-6 SoCon) will hit the road to face No. 25 South Carolina on Wednesday before heading to Cullowhee, North Carolina, for a three-game weekend series at Western Carolina (22-21, 11-7).
Also nominated: Jonathan Sabo (The Citadel), Hagen Owenby (ETSU), Cameron Whitehead (Furman), Alex Hanson (Mercer), Ben Spitznagel (UNCG), Ayrton Schafer (Samford) and Bryson Bowman (Western Carolina).
Samford's Jones earned the win against Western Carolina on Sunday, allowing just one hit and three walks and hitting a batter in five innings of work of the Bulldogs' 7-0, seven-inning victory.
The only hit the sophomore from Tallahassee, Florida, surrendered came in the second inning, but that runner was stranded at third after a sacrifice, strikeout and groundout. That was the only runner to reach third against Jones, who saw two of his walks erased by a double play and a caught-stealing.
Jones' only real jam came in the third, when a pair of walks and a fielder's choice put runners at first and second with one out, but he got a line out and a strikeout to end the threat.
The weekly award is the first for Jones, a SoCon All-Freshman selection last year.
Samford (26-18, 7-8 SoCon) hosts crosstown rival UAB on Tuesday before welcoming Furman (22-21, 10-8) for a three-game weekend set. The Paladins are riding a nine-game league winning streak after posting consecutive weekend sweeps of Western Carolina, ETSU and The Citadel.
Also nominated: Ryan Simpler (ETSU), Will Gaddis (Furman), Kevin Coulter (Mercer), Dan Loats (UNCG), Tristan Baker (Western Carolina) and Austin Higginbotham (Wofford).
2017 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 20 Chris Cook, ETSU
Feb. 27 Charlie Madden, Mercer
March 6 Will Malbon, VMI
March 13 Austin Embler, UNCG
March 20 JT Thomas, Mercer
March 27 Charlie Madden, Mercer
April 3 Bryson Bowman, Western Carolina
April 10 Taylor Garris, Samford
April 17 JT Thomas, Mercer
April 24 Matt Smith, Western Carolina
May 1 Carson Waln, Wofford
2017 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 20 Matt Frisbee, UNCG
Feb. 27 JP Sears, The Citadel
March 6 Adam Scott, Wofford
March 13 Bryan Sammons, Western Carolina
March 20 Blake Smith, ETSU
March 27 JP Sears, The Citadel
April 3 Josh Winder, VMI
April 10 Ryan Askew, Mercer
April 17 Matthew Quarles, Furman
April 24 Robert Broom, Mercer
May 1 Stephen Jones, Samford
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