MAC Baseball Player of the Week
CJ Richmond, Western Michigan, DH        
Junior, Indianapolis, Ind. (Park Tudor)
CJ Richmond had multiple hits in all four games on the way to a blistering .667 batting average (12-for-18) and 1.056 slugging percentage to help Western Michigan to a 3-1 week. He started the week with three hits and three RBIs in Tuesday's 15-inning win over Valparaiso. In the 12th inning, the junior laced a triple to left center, and later scored to tie the game back up at 6-6 and keep the Broncos alive.
 
Richmond stayed hot in the weekend series at Bowling Green, going 9-for-13 (.692) and reaching base at a .714 clip against the Falcons. After picking up two hits and scoring a run in Friday's series opener, the Indianapolis native tied his career high with four hits on Saturday, including RBI singles in each of the first two innings as Western Michigan jumped out to a 4-0 lead in an eventual 6-4 victory. Richmond capped his week with three more knocks, including a home run, and two more RBIs as WMU clinched the weekend series with an 11-0 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
 
MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Nate Blain, Ball State, RHP                 
Senior, Canton, Mich. (Canton)      
Blain sandwiched Ball State's series win at Northern Illinois with his first wins of the year. The senior right-handed pitcher combined for 9.2 innings of three-run ball (none earned) after tossing 3.2 shutout frames in Friday's 4-3 triumph and 6.0 innings in Sunday's 13-10 decision. Blain struck out 12 batters over the weekend and shut down an NIU offense that scored 10 runs combined in the third and fourth innings for the final five innings on Sunday.