MAC Announces Baseball Players of the Week
MAC Baseball Co-Players of the Week
Connor Smith, Western Michigan, Infielder
Junior, Midland, Mich.
Over the weekend against Northern Illinois, Connor Smith led the Broncos with a .571 batting average en route to claiming WMU's first MAC series victory of the season. In the 5-3 game one victory on Saturday, Smith scored one run while drawing a walk. In game two, Smith went 2-for-4. On Sunday, Smith had a historic day at the plate, going 6-for-6 with four RBIs and one run scored while also stealing two bases. Smith tied the program record with 6 hits, joining just three other Broncos to have a six-hit game. It was the first 6-for-6 performance at WMU since Adam Rosales did so back in 2005. Defensively, Smith didn't commit an error over the weekend and did not strikeout in 14 plate appearances. Currently, Smith is one of 10 players in the NCAA to register a six-hit game this season. On the season, Smith leads the team with a .333 batting average in 28 games played and has 38 hits, 5 doubles, one triple, one home run and 19 RBIs. The Midland, Mich., native currently has a team-high 13 straight games of reaching base safely.
Parker Massman, Miami, Outfield
Freshman, Carmel, Ind. (Carmel)
Freshman Parker Massman was a key piece in the RedHawks taking two out of three against Bowling Green this past weekend. The outfielder went 6-for-9 against the Falcons for a batting average of .667. He scored one run, hit one double and drove in a team-high six runs batted in. Massman also drew three walks, was hit by two pitches and didn't record a strikeout.
MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Drey Jameson, Ball State, RHP
Freshman, Greenfield, Ind. (Greenfield Central HS)
Jameson tossed Ball State’s first complete game shutout since BJ Butler blanked Dayton in a 6-0 win on March 18, 2017. He reached double-digit strikeouts for the first time in his collegiate career and retired 12 consecutive batters in the middle of the game. Drey has now gone 16 consecutive innings without allowing a run. In his previous start, he held CMU scoreless in 6.0 innings of work while striking out eight batters.In his three MAC starts this year, Jameson is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA. League opponents are hitting just .174 against him.
Other Player Nominees
Reilly Hawkins, Kent State, Left Field
Senior, Chardon (Chardon)
Reilly Hawkins picked up his first career four-hit game in KSU's 19-3 rout of Central Michigan on Sunday. He became the first Golden Flash to do so since last March. his on base percentage was .533 and he also picked up a stolen base as Kent State took its third straight series in Mt. Pleasant. He is now hitting .371 in conference play with six runs batted in.
Chase Sebby, Ball State, Catcher
Junior, Huntington Beach Calif. (Marina HS) / (Cypress College)
Sebby led Ball State in batting average (.455), slugging (.636) and on-base percentage (.538) this past weekend. He leads the Cardinals in all three of those categories in conference games.
--has multiple hits in six of his last nine games played.
--threw out all four attempted base stealers in the EMU series. Eastern Michigan entered the weekend leading the league in stolen bases and stolen base attempts. The Eagles did not have a stolen base in the series.
Connor Montgomery, Northern Illinois, Outfield
Freshman, Newport Beach, CA (Canyon)
Montgomery had a breakout performance this past weekend against Western Michigan University where he carried a .714 slugging percentage and a .571 batting average. Montgomery roped his first career RBI double in the Huskies' 3-1 win over the Broncos and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly. With his performance, Montgomery improved his overall batting average to nearly .200.
Other Pitcher Nominees
Eli Kraus, Kent State, LHP
Senior, Medina, Ohio (Medina Buckeye)
Kraus picked up his 21st career win at Kent State while shutting out CMU over six innings. He struck out four, allowed just two hits and held the Chippewas to a .118 batting average. The 21 career wins places Kraus seventh all-time at Kent State. In MAC play, Kraus is 2-0 with an ERA of 3.06.
Justin McMurtrey, Eastern Michigan, RHP
Senior, Redding, California (Shasta)
Senior Justin McMurtrey tossed a gem in a series opening win over Ball State, April 6. The righty went eight innings of shut out baseball, only allowing four hits and one walk while striking out a career-best seven batters. He earned his third win of his season and tenth of his career. His efforts led to a 1-0 shutout out win in the series opener, the second MAC shutout win of the season, as well as the first win in the 2-1 series win over Ball State, the second-straight series win for the Eagles.
Sam Shutes, Toledo, RHP
Senior, Three Rivers, Mich. (Three Rivers)
Senior starter Sam Shutes turned in another great outing for the Rockets on Saturday in the 3-2 win over Ohio. Shutes pitched eight inning against the Bobcats, allowing two runs but just three walks and three hits. After allowing a two-run home run in the top of the first inning he shut down OU's offense, throwing 7.2 innings of shutout baseball and allowing just five base runners. Shutes allowed a one-out base hit in the top of the second inning and another to lead off the third, but then retired 14 of the next 15 hitters he faced. The senior did not allow a hit after the third frame and had no problem working through Ohio's lineup. He was efficient on the mound as well, highlighted by a six-pitch sixth inning. Shutes is now 6-0 on the season and leads the MAC in wins. The Rockets have won his last four starts and six of his eight starts this season.
Michael Lasiewicz, Northern Illinois, Pitcher
Freshman, McHenry, Ill. (McHenry)
Lasiewicz improved his overall record to 4-3 as he tossed 7.1 innings in Northern Illinois' 3-1 win over Western Michigan Saturday, April 7. Lasiewicz scattered five hits, and walked only two while striking out six batters to improve his season strikeout total to a team-best 43 and a 1.80 earned run average. The McHenry native also carried a .200 opponents' batting average and yielded onlytwo extra base hits in earning his third-straight win on the mound.
Michael Brettell, Central Michigan, Pitcher
Junior, Fonthill, Ont. (Crossley Secondary School)
Brettell held the MAC co-leading Golden Flashes to one run on five hits over 7 2/3 innings in the Chippewas' 5-1 victory on Sunday. Brettell struck out eight and walked one in winning his third consecutive start.
Nic Laio, Western Michigan, RHP
Junior, Downers Grove, Ill.
In the series opener on Saturday against Northern Illinois, Nic Laio went 7.0 innings allowing three runs on just four hits while striking out seven. It's the fifth straight start in which Laio has went at least six innings as the RHP tied his career-high with seven innings of work. Laio's seven strikeouts was one shy of his career-high as the junior RHP has now recorded three straight starts with at least six strikeouts. In the outing on Saturday, Laio gave up four hits, none of which were for extra bases. The Downers Grove, Ill., native ranks third on the team with a 3.33 ERA and leads the team with 46 strikeouts. Opponents against Laio this season are hitting just .229.
