RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league’s Players of the Week for the sixth week of the 2015 baseball season. Harding’s Noah Chandler earned the Player of the Week award and Ouachita Baptist’s Connor Eller received the Pitcher of the Week.
GAC BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Noah Chandler, Harding, 3B, Jr., Jackson, Tennessee
Chandler paced the Bison offense to a GAC series sweep against Southern Nazarene. He opened with his first three-hit game of the season, followed with two hits in game two and his second three-game game of the series in game three. He hit .615 in the series. He has recorded multi-hit games in each of his last four starts and has improved his average from .214 to .317.
GAC BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Connor Eller, Ouachita Baptist, RHP, Jr., Sherwood, Arkansas
Eller kept the Tigers undefeated in GAC play as he blanked Southeastern Oklahoma State in the only game of the series. In seven innings of work, he limited the Savage Storm to only three hit and five base runners. He struck out six to increase his total to 30, fifth in the GAC. He improved to 4-0 and lowered his ERA down to 2.50
NOTABLE PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
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Patrick Castleberry, Sr., C, Arkansas Tech (Homered four times and drove in 14 as Arkansas Tech posted a 5-0 week)
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Jeff Martin, Sr., 2B, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Went 5-for-10 with a home run and five RBI vs No. 24 Southern Arkansas)
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Luc Pomales, Sr., INF, East Central (Went 5-for-12 in ECU’s series with No. 13 Henderson State)
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Brian Ray, Fr., OF, Arkansas-Monticello (Hit. 545 with a double and three RBI as UAM took the series against SWOSU)
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William Townsend, Jr., CF, Southern Arkansas (Posted a 5-for-5 performance in final game vs Northwestern Oklahoma State)
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Will Wallace, Jr., 1B, Ouachita Baptist (Collected a pair of hits and three RBI in Tigers’ only game of the week)
NOTABLE PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
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Ben Aldridge, Jr., RHP, Arkansas-Monticello (Threw 5.2 scoreless innings vs SWOSU; struck out five and walked none)
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Brody Ausfahl, Jr., LHP, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Beat No. 24 Southern Arkansas; allowed two runs in 6.1 IP)
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Geofferey Birkemeier, So., RHP, Arkansas Tech (Earned two wins, including a shutout of Augustana)
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Andrew Fiddler, Jr., RHP, Harding (Threw the first nine-inning complete game of his career; struck out six against SNU)
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Travis Johnson, Jr., RHP, Southern Arkansas (Earned his second save of the season; retired all four batters he faced)
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Lucas Kaplan, Sr., RHP, East Central (Struck out 11 in 6.0 innings and earned a win against No. 13 Henderson State)