Bertsch, Barteau Named ASC Baseball Players of the Week
3/23/2015 1:53:45 PM
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Games: March 16-22, 2015
HITTER OF THE WEEK – Connor Bertsch, 1B, Jr., Concordia Texas
Junior first baseman Connor Bertsch (Fayetteville, Texas/Fayetteville HS) hit .556 (5-for-9) with two doubles, a pair of home runs and five RBI. He racked up 13 total bases, which translated to a 1.444 slugging percentage, and he reached base at a .714 clip. Bertsch also scored six runs, walked five times and stole a base. He belted a pair of two-run homers in last Friday's 12-3 series-opening win over East Texas Baptist. In the series finale with the Tigers, he was walked three times, including once in the eighth inning. After being moved over to second base on a single, Bertsch swiped third base as part of the front end of a double steal. He then scored on Race Mellman's groundout, which cut ETBU's lead to 5-4 at the time. The Tornados came back to win it in the ninth with two runs.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Aaron Barteau, RHP, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Junior pitcher Aaron Barteau (Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS) struck out 10 and allowed just one hit and an unearned run in seven innings of dominant work in a 12-4 victory over Ozarks last week. Barteau, who improved to 3-0 on the year, held the Eagles to a .045 batting average before turning the game over to the bullpen.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES AT THE PLATE
East Texas Baptist junior shortstop Dynas Doud (Adel, Iowa/DC-Grimes HS) extended his hitting streak to nine games getting a hit in all six games this week. Doud pounded out a double for two RBI against No. 21 Concordia Texas in game one for a 2-1 lead before falling, 12-3.
Howard Payne junior shortstop Brandon Garrett (Dripping Springs, Texas/Dripping Springs HS) went 4-for-5 at the plate in the series opener against ASC rival Hardin-Simmons. Garrett also had a stolen base along with four total bases.
LeTourneau senior third baseman Ryan Bertram (Friendswood, Texas/Baytown Christian Academy) hit .364 as the YellowJackets swept all three games from local East Texas Baptist, last week. Bertram had a team-best four hits in the three-game series. He was one of five LETU players who scored two runs as LETU outscored ETBU, 11-2. One of the two runs was the game-winning run when LETU won the series opener (3-2).
Louisiana College senior outfielder Jermaine Liggins (Maben, Miss./East Webster HS) got the Wildcats’ offense started in the series opener against Sul Ross State (March 19). Liggins launched a first inning grand slam over the scoreboard in left field at Billy Allgood Field to give LC an early 4-0 lead. He also narrowly missed hitting his second tape measure home run later that game, after driving a ball off the top center field wall that resulted in his first triple of the season. Liggins now holds the distinction of hitting both a grand slam and an inside-the-park home run during his career for the Wildcats.
Mary Hardin-Baylor senior first baseman Rob Loewe (Waller, Texas/Waller HS) batted .461 and slugged 1.000 in the Cru’s series victory over Ozarks. He ripped a pair of home runs, drove in five runs and scored five more. Loewe also had a four-hit game in the series.
Ozarks sophomore catcher Jake Smith (Grapevine, Ark./Sheridan HS) drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to push Ozarks past Mary Hardin-Baylor, 5-4 last Saturday.
Sul Ross State senior shortstop Josh Vasquez (Lubbock, Texas/Frenship HS) led the team in hitting as the Lobos swept a three-game series for the first time since 2013. Vasquez recorded four hits in six at bats in the series opener Thursday night, scoring once and driving in three runs in a 14-9 win. He singled in the go-ahead runs in an eight-run, seventh-inning rally and added three hits, including a double and three runs scored in Friday's doubleheader. Vasquez played errorless ball in the field, handling 13 chances flawlessly.
Texas Dallas junior outfielder Haden Johnson (North Richland Hills, Texas/Birdville HS) was 2-for-3 from the plate with three runs scored and two RBI in a 12-6 road win over Texas Wesleyan. Johnson tied the UTD single-game record for stolen bases in the win, becoming the third Comet to swipe four bags in a game. Johnson’s four stolen bases tied the ASC record for most in a single game. Johnson joins a list of just nine conference players to steal four bags in a game and is the third UTD player joining Mitch Elliott (2006) and Jimmy Norris (2014).
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES ON THE MOUND
Concordia Texas senior pitcher Cameron Cox (Round Rock, Texas/Stony Point HS) recorded a three-hitter and an unearned run came across the plate as the Tornados defeated East Texas Baptist (3-1) in the middle game of the series this past Saturday. Cox struck out eight batters and logged his fourth consecutive complete game, while improving to 6-0 on the year. The Tigers scored their lone run on a fielding error with two outs in the fourth inning. From that point, Cox retired the final 10 batters of the game, including four by strikeout. Cox has not allowed an earned run in 34.2 innings. Opposing teams have scored just one time with Cox on the mound in that same span.
Howard Payne senior pitcher Jacob Spivey (Belton, Texas/Harker Heights HS) had seven strikeouts in five innings in his start at Hardin-Simmons.
LeTourneau senior pitcher Justin Jenkins (Hallsville, Texas/Hallsville HS) wrapped up the sweep with his third-straight 10 strikeout effort, scattering five hits in the YellowJackets' 4-0 win over East Texas Baptist.
Louisiana College senior pitcher Ron Anders (Zachary, La./Zachary HS) was one of the bright spots for LC's pitching staff despite a tough weekend for the Wildcat pitching rotation. Anders made his second straight start against an ASC opponent recording 4.2 solid innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs to a hard-hitting Sul Ross State lineup.
Ozarks senior pitcher John Singler (Muskogee, Okla./Muskogee HS) recorded 7.1 innings on the mound against Mary Hardin-Baylor (March 21). Singler received a no decision, but was effective throughout the game, allowing two runs, no walks and just four hits.
Sul Ross State junior pitcher Eli Gallego (Alpine, Texas/Alpine HS) pitched the best game by a Lobo starter this season in defeating Louisiana College Friday. He allowed two hits and one unearned run in seven innings while walking one and striking out six. Gallego went all the way in the first game of the doubleheader and pitched his third complete game of the season. He started the other two games of the series at first base and hit .333 with three runs scored, a home run and five RBI, a .778 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage.
Texas Dallas freshman pitcher Zach Rubel (McKinney, Texas/Boyd HS) picked up his first career victory Tuesday as he tossed 2.0 innings in the Comets' 12-6 win at Texas Wesleyan, Tuesday. Rubel gave up just two hits and did not allow a run against the Rams.