SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU infielder Bryce Hodge and Samford right-hander Michael Ross have been named the Southern Conference player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all games from April 4-10. The selections are made by the league office.
 
Hodge went 8-for-13 in his three appearances for ETSU this weekend, batting .615 and scoring eight total runs with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs in the Buccaneers’ conference-opening series sweep over Western Carolina. He started the series going 2-for-5 with one double, one RBI and one run scored in ETSU’s 5-3 victory over the Catamounts on Friday before going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, one home run and three runs scored in the Buccaneers’ 13-11 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday. The senior infielder went 3-for-4 again on Sunday, scoring four runs and batting in five runners, while adding two home runs to collect his third two-home run game of the season. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native drew three walks and concluded the week with a .688 on-base percentage and a 1.462 slugging percentage.
 
ETSU (20-8, 3-0 SoCon) continues to open conference play on the road, traveling to Spartanburg, South Carolina, for a three-game conference series against Wofford (24-9, 3-0 SoCon) on April 14-16, with the first pitch against the Terriers set for 6 p.m. ET.
 
Ross threw six innings in Samford’s 7-0 victory over VMI on Saturday, striking out six batters and allowing only one hit and three walks to combine with teammate Blake Bortak for a complete-game, three-hit shutout. The sophomore carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before giving up his lone hit in his final inning of work. With the victory, the Lakeland, Florida, native collects his fifth win of the 2022 campaign.
 
Samford (15-14, 2-1 SoCon) travels to Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, April 12, for a nonconference game against No. 17 Auburn at 6 p.m. ET before traveling to Cullowhee, North Carolina, on Thursday, April 14, for the Bulldogs’ conference series against Western Carolina (14-18, 0-3 SoCon).

Also nominated for player of the week: Bill Knight (Mercer), Kennedy Jones (UNCG) and Lawson Hill (Wofford).

Also nominated for pitcher of the week: Matt Bollenbacher (ETSU), Josh Harlow (Mercer), Alex Hoppe (UNCG), Tyler Kaltreider (VMI) and Matthew Marchal (Wofford).
 
2022 SoCon Players of the Week
Feb. 21             Hogan Windish, Jr., INF, UNCG
Feb. 28             Cole Simpson, Sr., OF, The Citadel
March 7             Justin Starke, R-So., INF, VMI
March 14          Zach Ketterman, So., INF, Western Carolina
March 21           John Dempsey, Sr., INF, Wofford
March 28           Ryan McCarthy, Gr., OF, The Citadel
April 4                Brennen Dorighi, Sr., OF/INF, Wofford
April 11              Bryce Hodge, Sr., INF, ETSU
 
2022 SoCon Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 21             Tyler Bradt, R-So., VMI
Feb. 28             Tyler Bradt, R-So., VMI
March 7             Matthew Marchal, Jr., Wofford
March 14           Zach Kirby, Sr., ETSU
March 21           Devin Beckley, Gr., The Citadel
March 28           Dalton Rhadans, Sr., Wofford
April 4                Josh Vitus, 5th, Wofford
April 11              Michael Ross, So., Samford