MAC Announces Baseball Players & Pitchers of the Week
MAC Player of the Week
Pete Schuler, Kent State University, C/1B
Senior, Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (St. Joseph)
Schuler led the Kent State baseball team to three victories March 12-15, including two wins over Power Five opponent Northwestern. The lefty batter hit at a .727 clip with a 1.455 slugging percentage and a .733 on-base percentage. He collected eight hits, six RBIs and six runs scored, including two doubles, two home runs and three walks over three games. Schuler is on a five-game hitting streak with the last four being multi-hit games. He was also perfect on the field this week, starting all three games at first base and tallying 20 put outs and two assists.
On Tuesday, Schuler went 2-for-3 at the plate against Youngstown State with 3 RBIs and a run scored on a double and two walks. The senior sparked Kent State’s 10-run scoring spree, knocking in the first runs of the game in the bottom of the first with a two-run double scorched into right-center field. He added his third RBI on just his second swing with a single an inning later.
Schuler was an offensive juggernaut in a double header against Northwestern Friday afternoon, going 6-for-8 on the day with two home runs and a double. The Pleasant Prairie, Wis. native also totaled five runs scored and three RBIs.
In the first game, Schuler was just a triple away from hitting for the cycle as he went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Leading off the bottom of the first inning with a two-out double to left center, Schuler again sparked the Kent State offense and crossed the plate first for the Flashes. He picked up a single an inning later to continue a six-run rally and ripped a solo-home run opposite field in the fourth.
In the night cap, Schuler kept the offensive fire alive, pulling a two-out home run over the wall in right-center field in the bottom of the first inning. He drew a walk to load the bases and eventually scored in the third, and recorded a sacrifice fly in the sixth. He rounded out the week going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and a walk.
MAC Pitcher of the Week
Shane Smith, Miami, Pitcher
Senior, Cincinnati, Ohio (Elder)
Smith earned two victories with two fantastic relief appearances during the week. Against Northern Kentucky on Wednesday, he went 2.0 innings, striking out three and earning the victory. Smith was even more spectacular against St. Bonaventure on Friday. With the RedHawks trailing, 6-4, he came in and completely shut down the Bonnies allowing Miami to come back. He threw the final four innings, allowing only one hit and striking out nine. For the week Smith gave up only four hits in 6.0 innings pitched and did not walk a single batter. He averaged two strikeouts per inning this week.
Other Nominees
John Ricotta, Ball State, 1B
Senior, Rochester, N.Y.
Ricotta batted .615 for the week and had 3 multi-hit games as BSU went 2-1. He homered and scored 3 runs in a win over Dayton and also made a defensive stop at 1B late to preserve the game. He also went 3-for-5 in last Wednesday's win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
John Baker, Ball State, RHP
JR., Hartland, Mich. (Hartland)
Baker started and got the win Saturday over Dayton. He struck out 5 over 5.0 innings and Ball State led 10-2 when he exited the game. For the year, Baker has a 1.38 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Jeremy Spezia, Bowling Green, Right-Handed Pitcher
Sophomore, Clinton Township, Michigan (L'Anse Creuse)
Spezia, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, was lights out from the bullpen as the Falcons went 2-1 on the week. In two appearances, Spezia earned two saves while not giving up a single run. In a win over Oakland on March 13, the Clinton Township, Michigan native logged 2.0 hitless innings to pick up the save. In the series finale versus Siena, Spezia notched his second save of the week with a scoreless ninth. The sophomore has surrendered just one run over his last 10.1 innings of work.
Zachary Owings, Eastern Michigan, IF
Junior, Saline, Mich. / Saline
Owings led the Eagles with a team-best six hits on the week, as he posted a .353 batting average (6-for-17) with three RBIs and two runs scored. Owings also had a steal with an on-base percentage of .353. In the field, he was also errorless in 18 chances. Overall, Owings had hits in each of the four games, including a pair of two hit days against Dayton (March 12) and at No. 20 TCU (March 17).
Luke McGuire, Eastern Michigan, RHP
Sophomore, Shelby Township, Mich. / Stevenson
Getting the start on the mound at Dayton, March 12, sophomore Luke McGuire delivered the best performance by an EMU pitcher this season. The 6-2 right-hander picked up the win with a 7.0 inning gem that saw him allow just two hits and a run on the day as EMU won 10-2. He struck out just one while throwing 76 pitches. McGuire set the tone in the first inning for EMU, McGuire retired the first three batter's he faced. McGuire would also toss 0.1 innings of relief at No. 20 TCU, March 17.
John Matthews, Kent State, RHP
Junior, Punxsutawney, Pa. (Punxsutawney)
Matthews tossed a gem, starting on the mound in the second game of Kent State's double header with Northwestern. He picked up his first win of the season with 6.0 innings of scoreless work. The Punxsutawney, Pa. native allowed just five hits and a walk while striking out six on the night. He currently ranks in the top-10 in the MAC in innings pitched (26.1) and in strikeouts (29).
Cristian Tejada, Miami, Outfield
Sophomore, Twinsburg, Ohio (Twinsburg)
Tejada helped lead Miami to a perfect 4-0 week with his bat. He hit .421, with an on-base percentage of .478 and with two doubles and a triple, had a slugging percentage of .632. He was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases, twice in the Friday game against St. Bonaventure he stole second, followed by third while on the basepath. After going 2-for-5 with two runs scored in win over NKU on Wednesday, Tejada finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored to go with those four stolen bases in the Friday victory over St. Bonaventure. On Saturday, he was 2-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored and Sunday he went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Tejada scored eight runs on the week, had two doubles, a triple, two walks, was hit by a pitch and had a sac fly.
Jordan Larson, NIU, First Base
Junior, Dodgeville, Wis. (Dodgeville/College of DuPage)
Larson had a slash line of .400/.444/.667 this week in five games against Kansas State and Valparaiso, leading NIU with six hits and 10 total bases. The junior first baseman had two hits in both games of the Kansas State series. On March 13, Larson hit his first home run and had a double in his 2-for-3 day against the Wildcats. Larson drove in two runs in NIU's 5-2 win over Valpo on March 16.
Michael Lasiewicz, NIU, Pitcher
Sophomore, McHenry, Ill. (McHenry)
Lasiewicz won his second straight start on March 16, allowing two runs on eight hits in five innings as NIU defeated Valparaiso 5-2. Lasiewicz struck out eight Crusaders over five innings, with seven coming in his last four innings. In his last two starts, Lasiewicz has 18 strikeouts over 11 innings while allowing two extra-base hits out of 11.
Jack Liberatore, Ohio, RHP
Redshirt Freshman, Greensburg, Pa. (Greensburg Central Catholic)
Liberatore was phenomenal in Ohio's 1-0 win over Army. Liberatore tossed 6.1 shutout innings and allowed just three hits and six runners to reach base in the win. Liberatore fanned six batters, one behind his career high.
Brad Boss, Toledo, OF
Sr., Temperance, Mich. (Bedford)
Boss was the Rockets' leading hitter this past week, batting. 476 (10-for-21) over four games while slugging .714. He tallied multiple hits in three out of the four games UT played, including a 4-for-5 performance in Sunday's win over Bryant. Boss recorded two hits against Wright State and three against Richmond. Against the Spiders, he recorded the second grand slam of Toledo's season, his second home run of the year. As the Rockets' leadoff hitter, Boss has reached base in every game this season and he has scored at least once in 15 of the 18 games played.
Layne Schnitz-Paxton, Toledo, RHP
Jr., Napoleon, Ohio (Napoleon)
Schnitz-Paxton was terrific in his start on Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings and striking out seven in the 6-2 win over Bryant. He allowed just four baserunners on the day (three hits, one HBP) and at one point he retired 15 consecutive batters. All three hits he allowed were singles. In his last three starts, Schnitz-Paxton has posted a 1.42 ERA in 19.0 innings, striking out 19 and walking just four.
Blake Dunn, Western Michigan, Outfielder
Sophomore, Saugatuck, Mich.
Dunn recorded double digit hits in two of the three games over the weekend at Butler, leading the team overall with a 500 batting average, .583 on-base percentage and an .800 slugging percentage. In Saturday’s doubleheader Dunn guided the Bronco offense going 2-for-4 in both games to register in team-leading 10th and 11th multi-hit games this season. On Sunday at Butler, Dunn was stellar at the plate going 1-for-2 with a home run, one RBI, two runs scored while also drawing two walks. Dunn’s home run was his third of the season while compiling three hits over the weekend extended the sophomore’s hitting streak to 12 games and his reached base streak to 18 games. On the year Dunn is hitting a team-high .408 with 18 hits, three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs.
Chris Modrzynski, Western Michigan, LHP
Senior Alpena, Mich. (Alpena)
It was a dominant performance on the mound for Modrzynski in game one at Butler on Saturday, throwing 6.1 innings allowing no runs on just three hits while striking out a season-high six batters. Modrzynski held Butler to just one hit through his first five innings of work and walked just three in 27 batters faced. Modrzynski earned his second victory of the season and improved his overall record to 2-0 while dropping his ERA from 3.50 to 2.59. In his last two starts, Modrzynski has thrown 13.1 innings allowing just one earned run on 10 hits with nine strikeouts and only one extra base hit.
