Big South Announces Baseball Players of the Week - May 4
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (
www.BigSouthSports.com) – USC Upstate infielder
Johnny Sweeney (Millstadt, Ill.) has been named the Big South Baseball Player of the Week, while UNC Asheville’s
Cooper Smith (Tallahassee, Fla.) is the Starting Pitcher of the Week for games played April 27-May 3, it was announced today. In addition, Winthrop’s
Harrison Wilson (Fort Mill, S.C.) was selected as the Relief Pitcher of the Week, while USC Upstate outfielder
Trey Bentley (Mulberry, Fla.) is the Freshman of the Week honoree.
Sweeney batted .500 (7-for-14) with three home runs and 14 RBI while scoring five runs in USC Upstate’s three-game sweep of Gardner-Webb. He posted a 1.214 slugging percentage and a .467 on-base percentage, adding a double and homering in all three games while recording four or more RBI in each contest. Sweeney opened the series with a home run and four RBI in Game 1, adding a sacrifice fly after a three-run shot in the fourth inning. He followed with a 3-for-5 performance in Game 2, finishing a triple shy of the cycle with six RBI, highlighted by a grand slam in the second inning. Sweeney closed the weekend with a 3-for-4 effort and four RBI in Game 3, delivering a go-ahead three-run homer in the third inning and adding an RBI single in the fourth.
Smith tossed a complete-game shutout against first-place Winthrop, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out a career-high nine. He held opposing hitters to a .147 batting average and just one extra-base hit while throwing 83 of his 130 pitches for strikes. The right-hander recorded multiple strikeouts in the first, seventh and eighth innings, including striking out the side in the seventh. Six of his nine strikeouts came looking, and the complete-game shutout marked the first by a UNC Asheville pitcher since 2012.
Wilson recorded a save over 4.0 innings across two appearances for Winthrop, allowing one hit while striking out four and walking one. He held opposing hitters to a .091 batting average on the week. The right-hander earned a three-inning save in Friday’s 5-1 win at UNC Asheville, striking out three while allowing just one single and one walk. It marked his fifth three-inning save of the season and sixth overall. Wilson also retired the side in order in his one inning of work against North Carolina A&T earlier in the week.
Bentley batted .500 (7-for-14) with a home run, two doubles, five RBI and five runs scored in the weekend series against Gardner-Webb. He posted a .857 slugging percentage and a .533 on-base percentage while adding a hit-by-pitch. The freshman opened the series with a 2-for-6 performance that included a double and a run scored. He followed with a 2-for-3 outing in Game 2, hitting a go-ahead three-run home run in the first inning while adding three RBI, two runs scored and an HBP. Bentley closed the weekend with a career-high three hits in a 3-for-4 effort in Game 3, driving in two runs and scoring twice, including a two-RBI double in the fourth inning.
Also nominated for Player of the Week:
Caleb Hammond (High Point),
Bentley Yeatts (Longwood) and
Corey Wouters (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Starting Pitcher of the Week:
Ty Brachbill (High Point),
Jaxon Lloyd (Longwood),
Christian Charalambous (Presbyterian),
Max Kaplan (USC Upstate) and
Brayden Gilley (Winthrop).
Also nominated for Relief Pitcher of the Week:
Matt Stuart (Gardner-Webb),
Jackson Nash (Longwood),
Robbie Boykin (Presbyterian) and
Max Eichenberger (USC Upstate).
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week:
Matt Stuart (Gardner-Webb),
Cole Morgan (Presbyterian) and
Garrett Byrd (Winthrop).