Russell, Adams Named ASC Baseball Players of the Week
2/14/2017 1:27:57 PM
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Games: February 7-13, 2017
HITTER OF THE WEEK – Phillip Russell, Jr., SS, Sul Ross State
Junior shortstop Phillip Russell (Austin, Texas / McCallum HS) went 11-of-18 at the plate with a .553 average over four games at last week's Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. Russell drove in six RBI, scored three runs, had a .667 slugging percentage and 12 total bases.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Cason Adams, Sr., RHP, UT Tyler
Senior pitcher Cason Adams (Rockwall, Texas / Rockwall HS) shut down No. 7 Trinity striking out seven and scattering seven hits in a 6-2 win in the season-opener. Adams held the defending national champions to two earned runs and did not walk a single batter.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES AT THE PLATE
Belhaven senior infielder JG Miley (Tupelo, Miss. / Tupelo HS) recorded five hits and scored four runs in two games last week. Miley and the Blazers opened the season with consecutive 10-6 wins over Berry College and the defending national champions, Trinity University. Miley went 2-for-3 with two walks, a triple, a stolen base and three runs scored in the victory over Berry. He followed with a 3-for-4 performance against No. 7 Trinity, while also tallying two stolen bases, a double and an RBI. Miley finished with a .714 batting average, .800 on-base percentage and a 1.143 slugging percentage for the week.
Concordia Texas sophomore first baseman Bret Leiferman (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock HS) hit over .350 over the weekend including a home run and three doubles. Leiferman went 3-for-7 in the Tornados 17-14 win over Hendrix in 12 innings Sunday afternoon. He scored twice, and drove in a pair. Against Univ. of Dallas, Leiferman scored one of two runs on the day when he went deep over the left field wall.
East Texas Baptist graduate first baseman Conner Combs (Southlake, Texas / Carroll HS) had his best game of the series in game three against Centenary (La.) going 3-of-5 with two home runs, three RBI and two stolen bases.
Hardin-Simmons senior outfielder Zack de Luna (Pittsburg, Texas / Pittsburg HS) hit for the cycle in the season opener including a walk off triple to beat No. 21 Texas Lutheran. De Luna was injured in the game against UT Dallas and missed Sunday's game with Univ. of Dallas. For the weekend he went 5-10 with a home run, three RBI, two doubles, a triple and scored five times.
Howard Payne senior first baseman Brett Quackenbush (Kingsville, Texas / Riviera Kaufer HS) went 6-for-9 in a doubleheader at Schreiner with two doubles and three RBI. Quackenbush was 2-for-2 in stolen bases and struck out once. He would post three hits in each game of the doubleheader.
LeTourneau junior infielder Gonzalo Sosa (Houston, Texas / Langham Creek HS) went 6-of-14 for a .429 average including four doubles and 10 total bases over the weekend, leading the YellowJackets to a 3-1 start. Sosa racked up six RBI, three of which came in a 12-7 win over Arlington Baptist. His sixth inning RBI against Austin College tied the game (7-7) and he later scored on a Kyle Buchanan double to score the ninth run in a 9-8 victory.
Louisiana College senior second baseman Seth Stevens (Central, La. / Central Private School) went 8-for-16 with nine RBI, four coming off a grand slam, and scored nine runs. Stevens also had two doubles, 13 total bases and posted a .813 slugging percentage to lead the Wildcats to their first 4-0 start in 14 years.
UT Dallas sophomore second baseman Ryan Burciaga (Katy, Texas / Morton Ranch HS) hit .692 as he sparked the Comets to a 2-1 record to start the season. Burciaga was 9-for-13 from the plate with five runs scored and three RBI in UTD's three outings over the weekend. He was 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the Comets' season-opening 15-3 win over Concordia Texas Friday before going 3-for-4 with two RBI Saturday in a 7-5 win over Hardin-Simmons. Burciaga was then 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 loss to No. 10 Texas Lutheran.
UT Tyler senior designated hitter Daniel Williams (Katy, Texas / Mayde Creek HS) opened the season going 7-for-13 with a home run and four RBI. Williams started the season with a 3-for-4 day with an RBI in the win over No. 7 Trinity (Texas) and went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI against Maryville. He also added one hit and drove a run in the loss to Berry. Williams now has four home runs and 23 RBI in 120 career at-bats for the Patriots in his two seasons with the program. His season-opening performance had him at a .538 batting average and a .769 slugging percentage.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES ON THE MOUND
Concordia Texas senior pitcher Jake Valadez (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock HS) had his second start of the year against Univ. of Dallas, going six innings and giving up no runs. He allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out two batters and ended up getting a no decision in the game.
Howard Payne sophomore pitcher Seth Owen (Brownwood, Texas / Brownwood HS) picked up his first win as a Yellow Jacket gaining the victory in a start at Schreiner. Owen allowed two runs on three hits in four innings or work and had three strike outs and two walks.
LeTourneau freshman pitcher Haden Simmons (Elysian Fields, Texas / Elysian Field HS) picked up the first win of his career with the YellowJackets. Simmons pitched 3.2 innings of relief and gave up only one run and struck out two earning a 10-5 win over Arlington Baptist on Friday.
Louisiana College junior pitcher Jacob Buchanan (Livingston, La. / Doyle HS) started the second game of the Wildcats opening night double-header against Rust College Friday. The southpaw pitched 3.0 innings, allowed just one hit, no runs, and struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced.
Sul Ross State freshman pitcher Peyton Marett (Alpine, Texas / Alpine HS) recorded a win and a save over two games at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. last week. Marett posted his first win in the college ranks with three innings of relief as Sul Ross defeated La Verne (14-11). He threw the last three innings striking out two batters and yielding three hits. Marett picked up the save as the Sul Ross knocked off 2016 SCIAC conference runner up Occidental College. Occidental trailed 9-8 in the top of the ninth when Marett came on to work the final two-thirds of the inning with no hits or runs allowed.
UT Dallas junior pitcher Ruben Renteria (El Paso, Texas / Montwood HS) struck out eight batters while issuing just one walk in a no decision against Hardin-Simmons Saturday afternoon. Renteria started the game and tossed 6.0 innings, giving up two runs on five hits, before taking leave. The Comets rallied to defeat HSU, 7-5.