MAC Baseball Player of the Week
Jackson Kitchen, Western Michigan, CF       
Senior, Battle Creek, Mich. (Lakeview)        
Jackson Kitchen had a huge weekend for Western Michigan in its series victory over NIU, going 7-for-12 (.583) with five extra-base hits, six runs scored, nine RBIs, a .643 on-base percentage and a 1.583 slugging percentage.
 
The senior started the weekend by reaching base in all six trips to the plate on Friday and becoming the first player in program history to hit for the cycle as Western Michigan clinched a berth in the MAC Tournament. Kitchen doubled in the first, homered in the third, singled in the fifth and completed the cycle with a triple in the sixth. He then capped the day off with his second home run in the eighth to tie WMU's single-game record for runs scored (5) and total bases (14).
 
Kitchen followed that up with his third homer of the weekend on Saturday, and then celebrated his Senior Day on Sunday with three more RBIs as the Broncos moved back up into second place in the league standings.
 
MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Peyton Cariaco, Kent State, LHP       
Junior, Marietta, GA/Pope   
Cariaco slammed the door in all three games for the Flashes as they swept the rival Zips on the road. The lefty came in on both ends of Friday's double header, capping the game one comeback with a clean ninth, striking out the side. He got out of inherited trouble in game two, picking off a runner and getting a strike out in the eighth, then working a perfect ninth. On Sunday, he came in with the bases load and got the elusive final out to get his third save of the weekend.

 

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