SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG infielder Zack Budzik and VMI right-hander Zak Kent have been named the Southern Conference player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all games April 1-7. The selections were made by the league office.
Starting all four games for the Spartans this past week, Budzik hit .500 while going 7-of-14 from the plate. He drove in four runs with three doubles and a home run and crossed home plate four times. In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Furman, Budzik had the walk-off two-run home run in the 13th inning that gave the Spartans the 11-9 victory. The freshman walked once over the week and swiped two bases. He finished the week with a .929 slugging percentage and a .563 on-base percentage.
The Spartans (20-10) are set to take on ACC opponent North Carolina (23-9) on Tuesday. They will then welcome George Mason (12-18) for a weekend series.
Also nominated: Ben Peden (The Citadel), David Beam (ETSU), Kyle Dockus (Mercer), Sonny DiChiara (Samford), Josh Hollifield (VMI), Justice Bigbie (Western Carolina) and Mike Brown (Wofford).
Earning his second conference pitcher of the week selection this season, Kent threw eight innings of shutout baseball on Sunday, in a 6-0 win series win over ETSU, which entered the weekend atop the SoCon standings. He struck out 12 while only allowing six hits and four walks and stranding 11 over his eight innings of action. The Heathsville, Virginia, native’s record now stands at 4-2 on the season with a 3.31 ERA and a conference-best 81 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings.
The Keydets (8-24) will travel to Radford, Virginia, for an in-state nonconference matchup with the Radford Highlanders (15-16) on Tuesday before traveling to Spartanburg, South Carolina, this weekend for a conference matchup with the Wofford Terriers (21-13).
Also nominated: Tanner Hall (Mercer), Corey Jackson (UNCG), Connor Radcliff (Samford), Chase Walter (Western Carolina) and Austin Higginbotham (Wofford).
2019 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 18 Jackson Greer, ETSU
Feb. 25 RJ Yeager, Mercer
March 4 Daylan Nanny, Western Carolina
March 11 Immanuel Wilder, Western Carolina
March 18 Kel Johnson, Mercer
March 25 Jordan Fucci, Samford
April 1 Jabari Richards, Furman
April 8 Zack Budzik, UNCG
2019 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 18 Shane Connolly, The Citadel
Feb. 25 Jordan Merritt, The Citadel
March 4 Hayes Heinecke, Wofford
March 11 Hayes Heinecke, Wofford
March 18 Zak Kent, VMI
March 25 Shane Connolly, The Citadel
April 1 Austin Higginbotham, Wofford
April 8 Zak Kent, VMI
-www.SoConSports.com-