Big South Announces Baseball Players of the Week - March 20

Big South Announces Baseball Players of the Week - March 20

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Campbell’s Jarrod Belbin (South Morang, Australia) and Longwood’s Eliot Dix (Maplewood, N.J.) have been named the Co-Big South Baseball Players of the Week, while Gardner-Webb’s Bobby Alcock (Lynn, Mass.) is the Starting Pitcher of the Week for games played March 13-19, it was announced today. In addition, Presbyterian College’s Tanner Smith (Laurens, S.C.) was selected the Relief Pitcher of the Week, while Charleston Southern’s Chandler Tuupo (Issaquah, Wash.) is the Freshman of the Week honoree.

In four games, Belbin belted two home runs and batted .412 (7-17) with five runs scored, eight RBI, a .941 slugging percentage and five stolen bases. He also drew three walks and finished with a .476 on-base average. Belbin was 3-5 with two doubles, three RBI and a stolen base to open the week at Coastal Carolina, then added four hits, two home runs, three runs, five RBI, four stolen bases and a double in the Camels’ series sweep of Winthrop. He went 2-4 with a home run, one run and three RBI against the Eagles in Saturday’s 12-3 win over the Eagles, and capped the week by going 2-4 with another home run, two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases in a 9-1 victory on Sunday. 

Dix batted a staggering .706 on the week (12-17) with two separate five-hit games for the Lancers. He also added two runs, one run, one RBI, three doubles and a stolen base. Dix opened the week with a 5-5 performance and an RBI on Wednesday, helping Longwood take down Richmond for the first time since 2013, 7-5. Over the weekend, he then went 2-4 with a double and stolen base against Gardner-Webb, followed by another 5-5 day at the plate on Sunday with another double and a run scored. 

Alcock tossed 8.0 innings in which he scattered just three hits with two walks while striking out 12 batters in a 1-0 victory over Longwood on Friday night. He struck out the side in the third, fifth and sixth innings, accounting for nine of his 12 strikeouts, helping the Runnin’ Bulldogs in a combined shutout win to open conference play. 

Smith earned a save and struck out four in 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He walked just one and allowed only three baserunners in two appearances. Smith struck out one and needed only four pitches to get out of jam at nationally-ranked South Carolina on Tuesday, then earned a save against High Point with another three punchouts in pitching the final 3.2 innings of scoreless relief in Presbyterian’s narrow 7-6 victory Friday night. 

Tuupo hit a pair of home runs and batted .400 (8-20) with six runs and eight RBI to help lead Charleston Southern to a perfect 5-0 record on the week. He also slugged .700 and finished with a .478 on-base average. Tuupo combined to go 4-8 with two runs and two RBI in a two-game midweek sweep of Kansas, then belted two home runs with two runs scored and four RBI in Friday’s 8-2 win, CSU’s first of three victories over UNC Asheville over the weekend. He then went 2-5 with an RBI in an 11-10 win on Saturday before adding another two runs, one RBI and a walk in Sunday’s 10-4 triumph of the Bulldogs. 

Also nominated for Player of the Week: Jaylin Rae (Charleston Southern), Curtis Robison (Gardner-Webb), Javon Fields (High Point), Ryan Ouzts (Presbyterian), Robbie Burnett (UNC Asheville), Cole Caruso (USC Upstate) and Ramses Cordova (Winthrop). 

Also nominated for Starting Pitcher of the Week: Cade Kuehler (Campbell), Johnny Alkire (Charleston Southern), Andrew Potojecki (Longwood), Reese Dutton (USC Upstate) and Brody Hopkins (Winthrop). 

Also nominated for Relief Pitcher of the Week: Aaron Rund (Campbell), Kaleb Hill (Charleston Southern), Phil Fox (Gardner-Webb), Guillermo Garcia, Jr. (Longwood), Bryce Fisher (UNC Asheville) and Caleb Jones (Winthrop). 

Also nominated for Freshman of the Week: Phil Fox (Gardner-Webb), Ethan Walker (Longwood), Trey Fenderson (Presbyterian) and Mathieu Curtis (USC Upstate).