Big South Announces Baseball Players of the Week - Feb. 18
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (
www.BigSouthSports.com) – High Point outfielder
Konni Durschlag (Charlotte, N.C.) has been named the Big South Baseball Player of the Week, while Winthrop’s
Owen Sarna (Rock Hill, S.C.) and HPU’s
Wade Walton (Lithia, Fla.) are the Co-Starting Pitchers of the Week for games played during the opening weekend of the regular season, it was announced today. In addition, Gardner-Webb’s
Mason Manriquez (Wellington, Fla.) was selected as the Relief Pitcher of the Week, while Winthrop’s
Colin Crowley (Southington, Conn.) is the Freshman of the Week honoree.
Durschlag slashed .615/.688/1.154 with eight hits, five runs, four RBI, two home runs, and a double to lead High Point to a 4-0 opening weekend. The senior recorded two three-hit games, hit safely in all four contests, and stole two bases. In Friday’s season opener, he went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI, two runs, and two steals, adding another hit in the second game of a doubleheader. His second three-hit outing included two home runs and three RBI, highlighted by a leadoff blast. He wrapped up the series with a walk and his league-leading eighth hit of the weekend.
Sarna allowed one hit and no runs over 5.2 innings to earn the win for Winthrop against Merrimack. He walked one and struck out nine, a new career high. The right-handed sophomore struck out the side in the top of the first inning and the first four batters of the game overall. He finished with at least one strikeout in every inning, including fanning the final batter he faced in the sixth. The only hit Sarna allowed was a single to center in the top of the fifth.
Walton posted a seven-inning complete-game shutout with three hits, no walks and eight strikeouts to pick up the win over NJIT in his first career start. He faced 24 batters, holding them to a .125 batting average and no extra-base hits. The right-hander struck out two in the top of the first and retired the side in each of the first five innings before a single in the sixth broke up his no-hit bid.
Manriquez combined to toss 4.0 innings in relief for Gardner-Webb, allowing no runs on no hits while striking out nine. He entered a 9-8 game while trailing by one in the seventh inning and went the distance on Friday, fanning seven without giving up a hit and walking one. He made a second relief appearance on Sunday and struck out two of the three batters he faced in a clean top of the ninth.
Crowley batted .429 (6-14) with seven runs, four RBI and four doubles in Winthrop’s three-game sweep of Merrimack. He posted at least one double and one RBI in all three games and walked once. The freshman infielder went 3-for-5 with three runs, a double and one RBI in his collegiate debut on Friday. He added one another double and an RBI in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader and then capped off the weekend with two doubles, three runs, and two RBI in the final game of the series on Sunday.
Also nominated for Player of the Week:
Nathan Martinez (Charleston Southern),
Matt Ilgenfritz (Gardner-Webb),
Myles Webb (Longwood),
Ryan Ouzts (Presbyterian),
Jhonkeanu Perez (Radford),
Alex Ritzer (USC Upstate) and
Ethan Wilson (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Starting Pitcher of the Week:
Nick Timpanelli (Charleston Southern),
Tristan McGregor (Presbyterian),
Raymond Ladd (Radford) and
Clay Edmondson (UNC Asheville).
Also nominated for Relief Pitcher of the Week:
Tyler Henshaw (Charleston Southern),
Adrian Montenegro (High Point),
Caleb Grizzard (Longwood),
Jacob Fields (Presbyterian),
Garrett Crum (UNC Asheville),
Max Bianchini (USC Upstate) and
Walker Brodt (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week:
Anthony Sanguedolce (Charleston Southern),
Wade Walton (High Point),
Mac Tufts (Longwood),
Matthew Rollison (Presbyterian),
Noah Toole (Radford),
Logan Lowe (UNC Asheville) and
Max Kaplan (USC Upstate).