Ortega, Imig Named ASC Baseball Players of the Week
3/28/2016 1:04:04 PM
AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Games: March 14-20, 2016
HITTER OF THE WEEK – Adam Ortega, Sr., SS, Concordia Texas
Concordia Texas senior shortstop Adam Ortega (Leander, Texas / Temple JC) hit a grand slam to cap an eight-run inning in Thursday's opener against Louisiana College. Ortega swung a hot bat throughout the series, doubling in Thursday's nightcap and topping it off with a 3-for-3 performance in Friday's finale. For the week, Ortega hit .556 with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, scored five runs and had 10 total bases with a 1.111 slugging percentage.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Nate Imig, So., RHP, Texas-Tyler
Sophomore pitcher Nate Imig (Leander, Texas / Leander HS) recorded a complete-game shutout win over LeTourneau in a 9-0 win by the Patriots in the second game of the series. In his second start of the season, Imig struck out four and limited the YellowJackets to a .125 batting average. Imig allowed only three hits in the seven-inning game.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES AT THE PLATE
Belhaven senior designated hitter Adam Kowalczyk (Marshall, Va. / Delaware Technical CC) finished the week driving in six RBI on two singles, two doubles and two home runs. He also drove in three runs on the week. Now with six home runs, Kowalczyk is tied for third in the ASC, while his 26 RBI are tied for fifth.
East Texas Baptist junior first baseman Conner Combs (Southlake, Texas / Carroll HS) led the team with three RBI and hit a nation leading ninth home run of the year in game three against Belhaven as ETBU swept the series. Combs hit .364 overall with a two-run home run in game three. He also had one RBI in game one.
Hardin-Simmons junior second baseman / outfielder Zack de Luna (Pittsburg, Texas / Pittsburg HS) pushed his hitting streak to 23 games with three hits in the first game on Friday, before seeing the school-record streak end in the second game. Luna was 5-for-11 with two runs scored, drove in four runs and stole a pair of bases in a Cowboy sweep of cross town rival McMurry.
Howard Payne freshman catcher Seth Dohrman (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock HS) was 5-for-12 in a conference sweep of Ozarks which included a 3-for-5 with two RBI outing in game two of the series. Dohrman had two doubles and had seven total bases on the weekend.
LeTourneau junior infielder Kyle Jacobs (Leander, Texas / Rouse HS) hit .714 in the three game-series against #15/17 Texas-Tyler. Jacobs had a career-high four hits in the series opener including his second home run of the season to lead LETU to a 7-3 win. Also in the win he had a double and scored a pair of runs. Jacobs also scored a run and hit a double in the series finale.
Mary Hardin-Baylor freshman first baseman Cody Stone (Huffman, Texas / Hargrave HS) had a pair of multi-hit games in the Sul Ross State series and hit .385 over three games. Stone drove in two runs and scored two.
Ozarks senior first baseman Grady Finley (Sheridan, Ark. / Sheridan HS) recorded six hits over four games last week. Finley drove in two runs, drew two walks and scored three times during the Eagles’ four-game home stretch.
Texas Dallas senior shortstop Jimmy Norris (Kennedale, Texas / Kennedale HS) hit .500 from the plate as the Comets posted a 2-1 record in non-conference action last week. Norris was 6-for-12 with a double, one RBI and a pair of stolen bases. He was 1-for-4 with a steal a run scored in Wednesday's 7-5 road win over Texas Wesleyan. Norris was then 5-for-8 with three runs scored and an RBI with a steal in a doubleheader home split with Texas Lutheran Friday.
Texas-Tyler freshman outfielder Graham Welch (Plano, Texas / Plano Senior High) continues to put up one of the best freshman seasons in the nation after hitting .429 (6-for-14) in last week's 2-1 series win over LeTourneau. Welch leads Division III with six triples after delivering another one to lead off the second game of the series and now has 32 hits and 18 RBI as the Patriot leadoff hitter. Welch also had two doubles last week against LETU and has eight on the season for the Patriots.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES ON THE MOUND
Concordia Texas junior pitcher Jake Valadez (Round Rock, Texas / Texas State) recorded six innings of relief, yielding just one unearned run on four hits. All but four outs dealt by Valadez came by strikeout as he fanned 14 Wildcats.
East Texas Baptist freshman pitcher Cody Pierce (Kennard, Texas / Kennard HS) pitched the first complete nine-inning game of his collegiate career. Pierce allowed one earned run on six hits for his third win of the year in game two of the Belhaven doubleheader (March 25). He retired the side three times and did not allow an extra base hit with the one run scoring in the fourth inning to tie the game.
Hardin-Simmons junior pitcher Colt Ritzel (Sanger, Texas / Vernon JC) went into the eighth inning and struck out eight batters in his first start as a Cowboy. Ritzel allowed just one earned run to secure the HSU sweep of McMurry.
Howard Payne junior pitcher Kyle Ramon (San Antonio, Texas / East Central HS) picked up the final win for the Jackets to clinch the three-game sweep of Ozarks. Ramon had four strikeouts and allowed just three runs in eight innings of work.
LeTourneau freshman pitcher Will Bradshaw (Longview, Texas / Longview HS) pitched three innings of scoreless relief for the save in the 7-3 win over #15/17 Texas-Tyler. Bradshaw struck out four in his appearance and did not allow a run.
Mary Hardin-Baylor freshman pitcher Connor Heussner (Katy, Texas / Cinco Ranch HS) allowed just one run while scattering six hits over five innings in the Cru’s 2-1 victory over Sul Ross State. Heussner struck out four and walked just two in picking up his second collegiate victory.
Texas Dallas sophomore reliever Zach Bomer (Mesquite, Texas / North Mesquite HS) had two flawless outings last week, picking his first save as a Comet in the process. Bomer opened the week with a 1.2-inning perfect outing with a strikeout in the Comets' 7-5 road win over Texas Wesleyan. He then tossed a perfect seventh inning in a 9-6 win over Texas Lutheran to earn the save. Bomer pitched 2.2 total innings without giving up a hit.