Phillips, Puckett earn TSWA Baseball honors

May 18, 2017 Forrest Freeman

BASEBALL: Austin Peay’s Phillips, Middle Tennessee’s Puckett garner TSWA accolades
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay’s Parker Phillips and Middle Tennessee’s Cody Puckett were named the Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Thursday for their performances for May 8-14.

Phillips batted .500 (10-for-20) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs scored in five games for the Govs. The Collierville, Tenn., native started the week with a 5-for-5 effort that included a double, a homer and three RBIs against Evansville.

The redshirt freshman was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs against Lipscomb. In a weekend series at Notre Dame, he doubled and scored a run in the opener and hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie in the series finale, helping APSU to a 5-3 victory. Phillips is batting .339 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs, 35 RBIs and 44 runs scored in 47 games this season.

Puckett tossed seven shutout innings for the Blue Raiders at Rice, allowing just four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. The senior lefthander tied his career-long outing in the victory, retiring 16 of the final 19 batters he faced, working around singles in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings by the Owls. Only one Rice batter reached second base in the seven innings, on a double in the first.

Puckett improved to 3-4 in 11 outings covering 53.2 innings this season, giving up 53 hits with 62 strikeouts.

2017 TSWA BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
February 14 – Ryan Addington, Carson-Newman (Player); Travis Dohr, Cumberland University (Pitcher)
February 21 – Nolen Milton, Union University (Player); Evan Heffner, Maryville College (Pitcher)
February 28 – Collin Harris, Tennessee Tech (Player); Brady Puckett, Lipscomb (Pitcher)
March 8 – Wade Weinburger, Bryan College (Player); Michael Wood, Tennessee Tech (Pitcher)
March 15 – Ryan Flick, Tennessee Tech (Player); Alex Robles, Austin Peay (Pitcher)
March 21 – Austin Krajnak, Cumberland University (Player); JR Miller, Union University (Pitcher)
March 29 – Matt Jones, Tennessee Tech (Player); Trey Sledge, Rhodes College (Pitcher)
April 6 – J.P. Castaneda, King University (Player); Octavio Mirabal, King University (Pitcher)
April 11 – Ryan Kemp, Middle Tennessee (Player); Matt Ruppenthal, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)
April 18 – Paul Kirby, Carson-Newman (Player); Kyle Wright, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)
April 26 – Nick Egli, Belmont (Player); Blake Glaudeb, Rhodes College (Pitcher)
May 2 – Alex Robles, Austin Peay (Player); Denton Norman, Lipscomb (Pitcher)
May 10 – Dan Kerwin, UT Martin (Player); Kyle Wright, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)

TSWA honors weekly winners - May 10

May 10, 2017 Forrest Freeman

BASEBALL: UT Martin’s Kerwin, Vanderbilt’s Wright garner TSWA accolades
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – UT Martin’s Dan Kerwin and Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright were named the Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April May 1-7.

In four games last week, Kerwin hit .500 (10-for-20) with eight runs scored, three doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs. The Bradenton, Fla., native singled, walked and scored three times against Union University and opened a three-game series at Eastern Illinois with three hits, including a homer, and two runs scored.

The senior hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs in the second game of the series with the Panthers and capped the week with a 4-for-5 effort with two doubles and three RBIs in the series finale. He is batting .323 with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 34 RBIs and 27 runs scored in 43 games after Tuesday’s contest.

Wright allowed just three hits and one run in nine innings against Missouri, walking one and matching his career-best with 13 strikeouts but got no decision in a 12-inning loss. The Huntsville, Ala., native took a no-hitter into the seventh inning the previous week versus Tennessee and tossed a three-hit shutout against Florida in mid-April. The righthander worked seven shutout frames at Georgia in April as well and has given up five total runs with 30 strikeouts in 32.1 innings over his last four starts. He is 1-1 with two no decisions over the last four weeks.

Wright is 2-5 with a 3.35 ERA in 12 appearances this season, tossing 75.1 innings. He has allowed 60 hits with 82 strikeouts and opponents are batting just .216 against him.

SOFTBALL: Belmont’s Spicer, Lee named TSWA award winners
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont University’s Jordan Spicer and Brooklin Lee were named the Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for May 1-7.

Spicer batted .700 (7-for-10) with a double, two home runs, seven RBIs and two runs scored in four games. The Hendersonville, Tenn., native was 3-for-3 with a double, a homer and two RBIs versus Southeast Missouri. She also homered and drove in four runs in the first game of a doubleheader with Tennessee State. The sophomore is batting .324 with three doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs and nine runs scored in 42 games this season for the Bruins.

Lee won the Pitcher of the Week award for the third time this season, picking up a pair of wins and 17 strikeouts while allowing two earned runs in 14.0 innings of work. The Burns, Tenn., native allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts in a victory at Murray State and then struck out 11 while giving up just three hits and two unearned runs against Tennessee State.

The freshman hurler moved into the top spot on Belmont’s single-season strikeout list with 172 heading into this week’s OVC Championships, breaking a mark set in 2008. Lee is 17-9 with a 2.39 ERA in 30 games this season, tossing 161.0 innings. She has allowed 127 hits with 172 strikeouts and opponents are batting just .215 against her.

2017 TSWA SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
February 14 – Lexi Cushing, Middle Tennessee (Player); Brooklin Lee, Belmont (Pitcher)
February 21 – Chelsey Deloney, Belmont (Player); McCarley Thomas, Lipscomb (Pitcher)
February 28 – Ashley Scott, Union University (Player); Mandy Jordan, Lipscomb (Pitcher)
March 8 – Morgan Brewer, Maryville College (Player); Hayley Smothers, King University (Pitcher)
March 15 – Kay Brokering, King University (Player); Nicole Blackburn, Maryville College (Pitcher)
March 21 – Jess Andree, Belmont (Player); Mandy Jordan, Lipscomb (Pitcher)
March 29 – Taylor Scott, Carson-Newman (Player); Savannah Carr, Trevecca University (Pitcher)
April 6 – Paige Robertson, Union University (Player); Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman (Pitcher)
April 11 – Alex Richardson, Trevecca University (Player); Brooke Kennedy, UT Martin (Pitcher)
April 18 – Emily Bennett, Union University (Player); Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman (Pitcher)
April 26 – Jodie Duncan, UT Martin (Player); Brooklin Lee, Belmont (Pitcher)
May 2 – Jodie Duncan, UT Martin (Player); Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman (Pitcher)

TSWA announces weekly winners - May 2

May 2, 2017 Forrest Freeman

BASEBALL: Austin Peay’s Robles, Lipscomb’s Norman garner TSWA accolades
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay’s Alex Robles and Lipscomb’s Denton Norman were named the Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April 24-30.

Robles batted .556 (10-for-18) with three extra base hits, seven RBIs and six runs scored in four games for the Governors, including hitting for the cycle in the final game of the week. The Tucson, Ariz., native posted two hits with three walks and two RBIs in a midweek contest against Western Kentucky and collected two hits, two runs scored and one RBI in the series opener versus UT Martin.

The senior drove in two more runs in the second game against the Skyhawks before going 5-for-5 with a two-run homer as well as a double, a triple and two singles in the series finale. He helped his own cause in the contest, allowing four runs on nine hits in six innings of work, his first start since April 7. Robles is batting .384 with 11 doubles, eight homers, 34 RBIs and 38 runs scored in 41 games this season.

Norman tossed eight scoreless innings against Kennesaw State in his first start in over two years because of Tommy John surgery, a game delayed in the ninth over two hours that Lipscomb won 1-0 with a run in the bottom of the ninth. The Katy, Texas, native gave up four hits and two walks, striking out five against the Owls, who entered the weekend averaging over six runs per game.

The senior righthander retired 9-of-10 batters to start the contest and then 9-of-10 in the middle of the game as well. He improved to 3-3 with five saves and a 1.59 ERA in 20 outings over 34.1 innings this season, striking out 29 while allowing just 26 hits. Opponents are batting .211 against him.

SOFTBALL: UT Martin’s Duncan, Carson-Newman’s Rinus named TSWA award winners
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – UT Martin’s Jodie Duncan and Carson-Newman’s Lacie Rinus were named the Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April 24-30.

Duncan garnered the award for the second straight week, batting .462 (6-for-13) with three doubles, one home run, five RBIs and two runs scored in four games for the Skyhawks. The Munford, Tenn., native posted two hits with a double and drove in both UTM runs in a loss to Kentucky and collected two hits with a double and solo homer along with two RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader at Belmont.

The junior infielder added an RBI double among her two hits in a single game at Tennessee State. Duncan is batting .364 with nine doubles, five home runs, 39 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 50 games for this season for UT Martin.

Rinus pitched the Eagles to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship over the weekend, striking out 28 in 27.0 innings while allowing just 15 hits and six runs, picking up all four wins in the process. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native struck out seven and gave up three runs on five hits in a 4-3 win over Queens College to open the tournament.

The freshman lefthander allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts in an 11-3 victory over Coker College before reeling off 14 consecutive scoreless innings to end the tourney. She struck out nine and gave up two hits in a 1-0 win against Lenoir-Rhyne, with the Eagles scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Rinus then shutout Coker on two hits as well, striking out six, in a 2-0 victory in the championship game. She improved to 26-5 with a 1.34 ERA in 32 appearances and 209.0 innings of work this season, striking out 224 and giving up just 149 hits. Opponents are batting only .200 against her.

TSWA honors weekly winners - April 26

April 26, 2017 Forrest Freeman

BASEBALL: Belmont’s Egli, Rhodes’ Glauben garner TSWA accolades
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont University’s Nick Egli and Rhodes College’s Blake Glauben were named the Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April 17-23.

Egli batted .500 (7-for-14) with four home runs, 13 RBIs and five runs scored in four games for the Bruins. The Brentwood, Tenn., native singled, walked three times and drove in three runs at Southern Illinois to start the week.

The senior belted a solo homer and a two-run shot in the first game of the series at Jacksonville State, driving in three runs. Egli drove in seven runs in his final two at-bats in the series finale versus the Gamecocks with a three-run homer to give the Bruins the lead and a grand slam in the ninth for insurance, helping Belmont sweep the doubleheader and take the series.

He is batting .417 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and 34 runs scored in 37 games this season.

Glauben tossed a nine-inning no-hitter against Centre College, walking four and striking out 11 in a 6-0 victory for the Lynx. The lefthander retired eight straight in the middle of the game and worked around a pair of errors by the Lynx as well. He improved to 3-4 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 appearances this season, striking out 72 in 61.0 innings of work. Opponents are batting just .204 against him this year.

SOFTBALL: UT Martin’s Duncan, Belmont’s Lee named TSWA award winners
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – UT Martin’s Jodie Duncan and Belmont University’s Brooklin Lee were named the Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April 17-23.

Duncan posted one home run, two runs scored and five RBIs in two games for the Skyhawks. The Munford, Tenn., native singled and drove in a run in two at-bats against Ole Miss. The junior infielder followed that with a grand slam and two runs scored versus Eastern Kentucky. She is batting .355 with six doubles, four home runs, 34 RBIs and 18 runs scored in 46 games.

Lee tossed a two-hit shutout at Austin Peay, striking out 15 with three walks in her only appearance of the week. The Burns, Tenn., native recorded her 14th complete game and fourth shutout of the season. She boasts 141 strikeouts this season, 28 shy of matching the all-time single season mark at Belmont. Lee is now 15-7 in 26 appearances and 133.0 innings pitched this season.

TSWA announces weekly award winners - April 18

April 18, 2017 Forrest Freeman

BASEBALL: Carson-Newman’s Kirby, Vanderbilt’s Wright garner TSWA accolades
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman’s Paul Kirby and Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright were named the Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April 10-16.

Kirby batted .400 (6-for-15) with three home runs, 12 RBIs and six runs scored in four victories for the Eagles. The Goodlettsville, Tenn., native hit a grand slam and drove in seven runs in a win against Shorter University, adding RBIs on a sacrifice fly, a single and a groundout.

The senior infielder collected a single, a walk, one RBI and two runs scored in the series opener versus Wingate College and posted a solo homer among two hits and scored twice in the second contest against the Bulldogs. Kirby provided all of the offense with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first in a 3-1 victory in the series finale, helping the Eagles sweep the series.

Kirby is batting .350 with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 37 RBIs and 41 runs scored in 38 contests this season for Carson-Newman.

Wright tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory over Florida, striking out a career-best 13 batters in a game that took just over two hours to complete (2:12 to be exact). The Huntsville, Ala., native struck out at least one Gator in every inning and allowed three total baserunners in the contest, all in separate innings.

The righthander records streaks of 10 and 12 consecutive Florida batters retired in the victory. In two career starts against the Gators, he has allowed six hits over 18 scoreless innings with 23 strikeouts. Wright improved to 2-4 with a 3.98 in nine starts this season, tossing 52.0 innings with 55 strikeouts.

SOFTBALL: Union’s Bennett, Carson-Newman’s Rinus named TSWA award winners
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Union University’s Emily Bennett and Carson-Newman’s Lacie Rinus were named the Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Wednesday for their performances for April 10-16.

Bennett batted .636 (7-for-11) with five runs scored, two triples, two RBIs and five walks in five games for the Bulldogs. The Dyersburg, Tenn., native plated the tying run with a single in the sixth and tripled and scored the winning run in the eighth in a 2-1 victory over North Georgia. Bennett singled, walked twice and scored a pair of runs in the second game against North Georgia.

The junior tripled and scored a run in the series opener versus North Alabama, tying the career mark for triples in the process with 17. She added two hits, two walks and a run scored in the second contest against the Lions and finished the weekend with one RBI in two-bats versus UNA. Bennett is batting .336 with 11 RBIs, 43 runs scored and 19 stolen bases in 46 contests this season.

Rinus won all four of Carson-Newman’s games during the week, allowing five earned runs with 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings of work. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native posted wins in both ends of the doubleheader against Lincoln Memorial, allowing two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts in a 7-3 victory before tossing 5.2 scoreless frames in a 3-2 win in the second contest.

The freshman lefthander did the same in a twinbill at Wingate College, giving up one earned run on five hits with 11 strikeouts in a 3-2 victory before going 6.2 innings in the second game, scattering 10 hits and allowing one earned run with six strikeouts.

Rinus improved to 20-5 with a 1.20 ERA in 25 appearances covering 157.1 innings, striking out 179 and allowing just 117 hits. Opponents are batting .200 against her this season.