SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina outfielder Nate Stocum and right-hander Jonathan Todd have been named the Southern Conference baseball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for all competition from March 11-17. The awards are selected by the league office.
Stocum hit .500 (5-of-10) on the week with four home runs, as Western Carolina swept Harvard over the weekend. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native, added four walks and drove in a team-high nine RBIs. He also scored seven runs, while posting a 1.700 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage. Stocum bookended the three-game series with two-hit games, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs in Saturday’s opener, a 4-2 in by the Catamounts, before closing the weekend with a 2-for-4, two-home run effort with four RBIs in Sunday’s 8-5 victory. He also drew three walks in a 1-for-2 effort in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, which Western Carolina won, 19-12. He leads the conference with 10 home runs and is fifth in the league with 23 runs scored and 23 RBIs on the season.
Todd earned two of saves in a pair of relief appearances in the Catamounts’ three-game sweep of the Crimson. The right-hander struck out four batters and did not allow a hit in three innings of work. He tossed two innings without surrendering a hit, with three strikeouts in the series opener, then followed by fanning a batter, while facing the minimum in Sunday's series finale.
Western Carolina (9-9), which has won five straight, is scheduled to host UNC Asheville in a midweek contest on Tuesday (March 19), before opening SoCon action by hosting ETSU in a three-game series over the weekend.
Other nominees for player of the week: Wells Sykes (The Citadel), Cody Miller (ETSU), Jackson Cherry (Mercer), Aidan Brewer (UNCG), Garrett Howe (Samford), Cook Brett (VMI) and Tyler Hare (Wofford)
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Ben Hutchins (The Citadel), Andrew Ronne (ETSU), Jess Ackerman (Mercer), Rob Ready (UNCG), Michael Ross (Samford), Andrew Jones (VMI) and Zac Cowan (Wofford)
2024 SoCon Baseball Players of the Week
Feb. 19 Caleb Cozart, Sr., INF, UNCG
Feb. 26 Parker Lester, Jr., 1B, Mercer
March 4 Garrett Howe, Sr., INF, Samford
March 11 Dixon Black, Jr., 3B, Wofford
March 18 Nate Stocum, Sr., OF, Western Carolina
2024 SoCon Baseball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 19 Michael Ross, Sr., RHP, Samford
Feb. 26 Julien Peissel, So., RHP, UNCG
March 4 Braden Hofmeyer, Jr., RHP, Wofford
March 11 Graham Yntema, Sr., LHP, Mercer
March 18 Jonathan Todd, Sr., RHP, Western Carolina