Ohio's Rott, Ball State's Marquardt Named Baseball Players of the Week
MAC Baseball Player of the Week
Rudy Rott, Ohio
First Baseman, Junior, Holmen, Wis. (La Crosse Aquinas)
Rott (Holmen, Wis.) put his power on full display last week for the Ohio baseball team (21-29, 9-15 MAC), leading the Bobcats in batting average (.444), slugging percentage (1.111), hits (8), home runs (4), RBIs (9), runs scored (8) and home runs (4) over four games. Rott opened the week going 2-for-5 with a pair of homers, four RBIs and two runs scored in a 10-9 loss to in-state rival Youngstown State last Tuesday (May 9) at Bob Wren Stadium. He then finished 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored as Ohio fell to Western Michigan, 7-6, in the opening game of a three-game Mid-American Conference series at The Wren last Friday (May 11). Rott helped the Bobcats best the Broncos, 10-7, on Saturday (May 12), going 3-for-4 with his team-high 15th home run of 2018, a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored. His homer marked his seventh over a span of seven-straight games and marked the fourth game in a row he went deep.The contest also marked his team-high 24th multi-hit game of the season, team-high 15th multi-RBI game of the year and team-high eighth with at least three hits. Rott's homer streak ended on Sunday (May 13) in a 10-6 loss to Western Michigan in the series rubber match, but he still singled, walked and scored a run and extended his current hitting streak to eight straight games.
MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Evan Marquardt, Ball State
RHP, R-Junior, Midland, Mich. (Dow HS)
Marquardt tied his personal highs in innings pitched (7.0) and strikeouts (9) in rubber game win against Toledo. Retired 15 of the final 17 Toledo batters he faced also pitched the first 3.0 innings against Purdue and held the Boilermakers to one run with four strikeouts. Purdue had scored 27 runs the day before against Fort Wayne.
Other Nominees
Daniel Robinson, Central Michigan
Right Field, Junior, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
Central Michigan junior outfielder Daniel Robinson continued his late-season hot streak, hitting .524 (11 for 21) and slugging .714 in five games last week. Robinson collected 11 hits in 21 at-bats; among his hits was a double and a home run, his team co-leading fourth of the season. His on-base percentage was .583 and he did not strike out in 24 plate appearances on the week. Robinson collected at least two hits in all five games during the week, and is riding a 13-game hit streak and has not struck out in his last 11 games.
Zachary Owings, Eastern Michigan
INF, Sophomore, Saline, Mich. (Saline)
Sophomore Zachary Owings had a huge week at the plate for EMU, batting .476, including two home runs, six runs driven in and six runs scored. The infielder had a hit in every game this week, including a four-hit day against Dayton, May 9. He followed that up with a two-hit, three-RBI day in the 8-4 series opening win over Kent State, May 11, including a two-run home run. The Saline, Michigan native is now leading EMU and is near the top in the MAC with a .358 batting average. He has reached base in 27 consecutive games as well.
Eli Kraus, Kent State
LHP, Senior, Medina, Ohio (Medina Buckeye)
Kraus won his 25th career game at Kent State with a memorable senior day start at Schoonover Stadium. He struck out nine over nearly seven innings of work Sunday as he helped KSU take a series from Eastern Michigan. The win ties him for third on the all-time wins list with Mike Nartker. He remains undefeated in league starts in 2018 with a 6-0 record and ERA of 2.55.
Pete Schuler, Kent State
C, Junior, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (St. Joseph)
Schuler came up big for the Golden Flashes in the absence of starter Tim DalPorto when he belted five hits including a clutch bases-loaded two-out double in the rubber match of the three game series. He drove in five in two games as the Golden Flashes moved closer to a third straight regular season title.
Ross Haffey, Miami
1B, Senior, Birmingham, Mich.
Senior Ross Haffey was key in helping Miami to a series win over Central Michigan this past weekend. The first baseman hit .357 over the weekend and belted two home runs, both in the series finale, and one double. He also drove in a team-high five runs and scored four times himself. After his performance this weekend, Haffey is now tied for the most homers in the MAC with 15 on the season.
Samuel Vega, Northern Illinois
INF, Senior, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
Vega connected for eight hits, including a solo home run, in leading Northern Illinois University to a 2-1 record and a series' victory at Bowling Green this past weekend. In a 12-4 win over the Falcons Sunday, Vega went 4 for 6 with two runs scored and two RBI as he connected for his third long ball of the season. Over the three-game stretch, Vega had a .500 batting average with two RBI and 11 total bases for a .688 slugging percentage. Vega leads the team with a .307 batting average and three home runs.
Kam Smith, Northern Illinois
OF, Red shirt freshman, Colonial Beach, Va. (The Steward School)
Smith drove in five runs and had a .615 slugging percentage in leading the Northern Illinois University baseball team to a 2-1 record and a series' victory over Bowling Green State University this past week. In a 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Falcons Friday, Smith was nearly perfect at the plate as he went 3 for 4. He later backed that with a 2 for 5 day in a 12-4 win in the series' finale as he drove in four runs on a two-run double and a two-run single. In doing so, Smith improved his overall batting average to .265.
Sam Shutes, Toledo
RHP, Senior, Three Rivers, Mich. (Three Rivers)
Senior starting pitcher Sam Shutes threw 7.0 innings and struck out seven in the 5-4 win over Ball State on Saturday. After allowing two runs in the first inning, the Rockets' starter held the Cardinals scoreless for the remainder of his outing and did not allow a hit in his final three innings of work, striking out five during that stretch. Shutes earned his ninth win of the season, most by a MAC pitcher this season and tied with five others for third-most in a single season at Toledo. He has tossed at least seven innings in five of his last six outings.
Trace Hatfield, Toledo
3B, Freshman, Fredericktown, Ohio (Fredericktown)
Freshman Trace Hatfield led the Rockets in hitting last week, registering a .500 batting average (9-for-18) and getting on base at a clip of .609. In the midweek win at Butler, he went 3-for-4 and scored twice, tying a career-high for runs scored. The day before he tallied three hits, drove in three runs, and also scored twice against Youngstown State. Hatfield reached base at least twice in all five games this week: three hits against YSU, three hits at Butler, two hits against Ball State on Friday, a hit and two walks against BSU on Saturday, and two walks against the Cardinals on Sunday. Over the last month, Hatfield leads the Rockets in hitting (.355), on-base percentage (.432), and runs scored (17).
Blake Dunn, Western Michigan
Outfield, Freshman, Saugatuck, Mich.
Blake Dunn helped the Broncos go 2-2 on the week with a series victory at Ohio over the weekend. Dunn had a team-leading .579 batting average in the four games with a .737 slugging percentage and .550 on-base percentage. In midweek action against Valparaiso on Tuesday, May 8, Dunn went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Over the weekend against Ohio, Dunn had a staggering .643 batting average against the Bobcats with two doubles and four RBIs. In a game one 7-6 victory on Friday against Ohio, Dunn delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth to give the Broncos the lead. Overall on Friday, Dunn set a new career-high going 5-for-5 with two RBIs, a double and one run scored. Dunn became the fourth Bronco this season to have a perfect day at the plate. In Sunday's 10-6 series clinching victory, Dunn was yet again an integral part going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and one run scored. Dunn now has 12 multi-hit games this season and four multi-RBI games. Dunn is currently riding a five-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in a team-high 12 straight games. On the season, Dunn ranks third on the team with a .326 batting average.
