SPARTANBURG, S.C. – VMI first baseman Justin Starke and Western Carolina right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews have been named the Southern Conference player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all games from April 5-11. The selections are made by the league office.
 
Starke earned his first career player of the week honor after tallying eight hits, four runs, six RBIs, two doubles, one home run and a .615 batting average in VMI’s three games against Western Carolina last weekend. In the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday, the redshirt freshman scored twice and drove in one run. He opened the second game with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, giving the Keydets a 4-0 lead. He was 8-of-13 in the three-game series and is the first player from VMI this season to earn the weekly honor.   
 
VMI (6-20, 2-10 SoCon) will host its weekend series against Mercer (20-11, 8-1) in Lexington, Virginia, with the opening pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday, April 16. Saturday, April 17, will feature a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
 
Matthews is the second SoCon pitcher of the season to earn his second weekly honor. The sophomore from Cullowhee, North Carolina, struck out seven batters over five innings in Saturday’s weather-shortened 3-0 victory against VMI. Matthews scattered three singles over the five innings and improved to 5-1 on the season with a 3.19 ERA and a team-best 41 strikeouts. 
 
Western Carolina (18-7, 6-2) will host No. 5 Tennessee for the second time this season on Tuesday, April 13, at 5 p.m. The Catamounts are scheduled to host Blue Division leader Samford (21-11, 11-1) this weekend with the first pitch on Friday, April 16, at 5 p.m. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.