College | Story | 5/28/2018

College Player, Pitcher of Week

Patrick Ebert Mike Rooney Jheremy Brown

Photo: John Doxakis (Michael Wade)

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2017 Player/Pitcher of the Week | Perfect Game College Player Database

May 28, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Zach Biermann, Coastal Carolina
The Chanticleers have enjoyed a strong conference season, finishing the year both as the regular season and conference tournament champions in the Sun Belt and they were awarded with a Regional hosting bid as a result. During their 4-0 week in Lafayette it was designated hitter Zach Biermann that stood out the most, enjoying a three, four and five RBI game. On the week Biermann went 6-for-16 (.375) in those four games, hitting a pair of doubles, a triple and a home run with a sacrifice fly and a stolen base thrown in for good measure, with six runs scored and 12 driven in. On the season he is now hitting .291-12-51 for one of the nation’s most prolific offenses.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: John Doxakis, Texas A&M
Texas A&M had quite the run through the SEC Tournament considering they opened the week with significant uncertainty as to whether or not they would even advance to the postseason. They answered some significant questions, and then some by going 3-1, losing to the eventual tournament champs, Ole Miss, after beating Vanderbilt, Georgia and Auburn. It was against Auburn that Doxakis stood out, starting opposite the projected No. 1 pick for this year’s draft, Casey Mize, as he entered the eighth inning with a no-hitter still intact. He went 7 1/3 strong, allowing just one run on two base hits without walking a batter while striking out 10. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound lefthander is now 7-5 on the season with a 2.89 ERA.

May 22, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Jeremy Ydens, UCLA
A strongly built 6-foot-2, 193-pound righthanded hitting outfielder, Ydens is having a breakout sophomore campaign for the Bruins and appears to be a cornerstone piece next spring. Ydens is currently leading the team with a .370 average, a mark he improved upon in UCLA’s 4-0 performance this past week as he went 11-for-20, good for a .550 average. He connected for three hits in each of the first three games on the week and added another two on Sunday, finishing the week with two home runs and two triples while driving in an impressive 14 runs and scoring another nine of his own.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Ross Learnard, Purdue
It’s not often a closer earns the weekly Pitcher of the Week honors, but then again that speaks to the performance of Purdue lefthanded closer Ross Learnard. In his first year on campus Learnard picked up four saves over 27 appearances, a mark he matched this past week as he picked up saves Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15, nailing down a perfect 4-0 week for the Boilermakers who enter the Big Ten tournament as the No. 2 seed. Appearing in all four games, Leanard logged 4 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run and punched out three, giving him a 1-to-1 ratio in strikeouts-to-innings pitched this spring with 32.

May 15, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Will Watson, Maryland
Three home runs on the week? Pretty good. Two home runs in the same game? Solid. How about two home runs in the same inning? That’s just what Will Watson’s week looked like for the Terps as he put three balls over the fence this week helping Maryland sweep their opponents with a 4-0 record. Over the four games Watson went 9-for-18, collecting multi-hit games, an RBI and a run scored in each contest, though it was on Saturday where he made his loudest impression and where eight of his 12 RBI came from. In fact, seven of his eight RBI came in the same inning as he blasted both a three-run homer and a grand slam, his second and third of the week while doubling his season’s output. In addition to the home runs Watson added a double and scored six runs of his own while seeing a healthy jump in his season’s batting average.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Logan Allen, Florida International
For the week Allen went 7-for-10 at the plate and in the process picked up his second homer of the year, two doubles, plated three runs and scored five of his own. But this is the section for Pitcher of the Week, and in addition to the offensive stat line the former Perfect Game All-American went eight strong innings against Western Kentucky and showed the type of pitchability and command everybody associates with Allen’s name. The lefthander opened the game sitting 90-93 mph with his fastball and eventually settled in comfortably at about 90-91 and continued to locate as he surrendered just four base hits while punching out seven and walking only one. He has proven to be a workhorse for the Panthers despite being a true freshman as he boasts a team-high 72 innings pitched while taking every day reps at first base as well.

May 8, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Will Matthiessen, Stanford
Here’s something to consider: prior to this past week Will Matthiessen had 18 at-bats this spring, a number he nearly doubled over Stanford’s last four games and mightily impressed in the process. The 6-foot-5 Matthiessen, who is listed as a righthanded pitcher on Stanford’s roster, suited up as the designated hitter and helped Stanford to a clean four-game sweep by going 9-for-14 with nearly half of his hits clearing the outfield wall. The four home runs Matthiessen connected on were the first four of his career, two of which came in Sunday’s contest. His double was also the first of the season for Matthiessen (who had just four hits heading into the week), who scored eight runs and drove in nine more, giving the second-ranked Cardinal another potential threat as the team’s sights are set on a deep postseason run.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Casey Mize, Auburn
By Auburn righthander Casey Mize’s standard it was another ho-hum appearance as he once again was dominant in a complete game victory, this time over previously 18th-ranked Vanderbilt in front of his home crowd on his way to earning his second Pitcher of the Week honor this season. Armed with a fastball that regularly sits in the mid-90s and one of the best off-speed pitches in the entire country with his splitter, it’s his command that continues to lead to success. In his most recent outing Mize tied a program record with 15 punchouts, and unsurprising to any who know what the hard-throwing righthander does on the mound, he didn’t walk anybody while scattering just four base hits with a single earned run allowed. Mize threw 81 of his 110 pitches for strikes, improving to 9-2 on the year with an unbelievable 119-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio this spring.

May 1, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Alex Holderbach, Eastern Kentucky
Entering the week junior catcher Alex Holderbach was the Colonel’s leader with nine home runs and come Sunday afternoon after EKU secured the series win over Jacksonville State he still led the team though his total vaulted up to 15 long balls. That’s right, over four game this past week Holderbach launched six home runs which included a four-bomb performance midweek against Xavier, a school record, before adding one apiece in both Friday and Sunday’s games. Overall he collected eight hits on the week and drove in 14 while scoring eight of his own. He helped catapult his team to a 3-1 record while accounting for 22 of the team’s 32 runs. For the week Holderbach went 8-for-17 which equates to a .470 average, raising his season mark to .371, and added another three free passes, giving him more walks than strikeouts on the year.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Connor Thomas, Georgia Tech
Following up a top-notch performance from Friday night starter Xzavion Curry, lefthander Connor Thomas continued the trend of dominant Tech pitching on Saturday with a masterful performance of his own. He punched out 17 during his complete game victory against Wake Forest, walking just one while scattering four hits and surrendering one earned run. His overall feel was for his full three-pitch mix and how sharp his control was throughout the zone was the most impressive aspect of his performance. Needing 112 pitches to pick up his fifth win of the year, and lower his ERA to a team-best 3.04, Thomas picked up his other nine outs via ground balls which is impressive given Wake Forest’s ability to lose a baseball on any given swing. Vinnie Cervino was on hand and provided a detailed scouting recap along with video on Thomas’ performance here.

April 24, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Josh Jung, Texas Tech
Texas Tech third baseman and star sophomore Josh Jung helped lead the Red Raiders to a 3-1 week, which included a mid-week win over New Mexico as well as the first two games, and ultimately the series, against Oklahoma. His mid-week performance is a good place to start in regards to his 10-for-17 effort on the week as he went 5-for-5 and hit for the cycle; his “extra” hit came in the form of his second long ball of the game. Over his 10 hits Jung finished the week with three home runs, two doubles and two triples and drove in 13 runs while scoring eight himself, including the winning run in Friday night’s contest on a walkoff balk. He picked up at least one knock in all four games and upped his batting average to a .404 mark on the year, further cementing his status as a name to closely monitor for next June’s MLB Draft.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Cody Bradford, Baylor
Though only a sophomore, lefthander Cody Bradford has taken the reigns of the Baylor staff and helped lead the Bears to a clean sweep of Texas Christian this past weekend in Waco. Friday night marked a career high for Bradford in both innings pitched and strikeouts as he went the distance in a complete game shutout effort over the Horned Frogs with 10 punchouts and just a single walk. Working ahead and pounding the zone was key for Bradford as he faced the minimum in eight of his nine innings, surrendering his only walk and base hit (a single), in the fourth inning, and finished the victory on 114 pitches, 75 of which went for strikes. With the victory Bradford improved to 4-4 on the year, lowered his ERA to a 2.98 and is averaging nearly a strikeout per inning while limiting opponents to a .241 batting average against.

April 17, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Ross Haffey, Miami (Ohio)
A redshirt senior, you aren’t going to miss Haffey as he digs into the righthanded batter’s box given his intimidating 6-foot-5, 237-pound stature. Miami went 4 -1 on the week thanks to Haffey’s run production, and currently stands in second place in the MAC. Over the five-game stretch Haffey managed to go 11-for-22, raising his average to .378 on the year which is tops on the team. Friday proved to be a career day as Miami played two against Ball State, with Haffey going deep five times in the two games before adding another on Sunday to increase his season total to 11. In all Haffey drove in 14 runs, scored another 12 and walked five times, adding a triple for good measure, proving to be a consistent cog in the middle of the RedHawks’ order.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Noah Zavolas, Harvard
As evidenced by his 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings, Harvard righthander Noah Zavolas pounds the zone, and as the adage goes, “good things happen when you throw strikes.” Zavolas, one of the top arms for the Crimson this spring, helped lead his team to their lone win this weekend against Yale, and it was in impressive fashion as he gave Harvard their first no-hitter since 2001. Aside from an error and a walk, Zavolas was perfect, pounding the zone and needing just 115 pitches to complete the feat, and in the process he struck out 12 batters, a career high. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior righthander improved to 4-1 on the season and with his no-hitter provided the NCAA with their 19th no-hit bid already in 2018.

April 10, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Nick Gatewood, Georgia State
During a four-game stretch this past week in which his Georgia State club went 3-1, including a weekend sweep over Arkansas State, slugger Nick Gatewood once again put his intriguing raw power on display, as well as his overall hit tool. Physical in stature at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, Gatewood has been a force in the middle of the Panthers’ order and went on a tear once again as he went 8-for-15 with half of his hits coming in the long ball variety, upping his season total to 11 on the year. A primary backstop who shows tools behind the dish, it is Gatewood’s powerful lefthanded stroke that has scouts taking notice, though he’s not only a power threat. With a .533 batting average and 11 RBI this past week Gatewood currently boasts a .385 mark in 2018 and has driven in 35 runs. Overall it was an impressive performance for Gatewood as he reached base four additional times via walks and scored nine runs of his own. For a more detailed breakdown of Gatewood click here for his report in the College Player Database.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Scotty Sunitsch, Washington State
We are just past the halfway point of the collegiate season with this past week behind us and already there have been 18 no-hitters in college baseball with the latest coming from Washington State’s Scotty Sunitsch. A lefthanded senior, Sunitsch is making the most of his last season on campus and he has been the leader of the Cougars as he improved to 3-1 on the year after his complete game, no-hit performance over Pac-12 foe Oregon this past weekend. Completing the feat in impressive fashion, as he needed just 95 pitches, this is Suntisch’s second time being involved in a Washington State no-hitter as he threw the ninth inning last season to wrap up a no-no against Stephen F. Austin. Sunitsch’s solo effort is the first in over 40 years for the Cougars and he faced just four over the minimum while punching out nine and continued a senior season in which he’s proven to be a difficult at-bat as evidenced by his .226 batting average against.

April 3, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Seth Beer, Clemson
If you’re a fan of college baseball or the MLB Draft you’ve undoubtedly heard about Clemson’s Seth Beer as he burst onto the scene as a true freshman and hasn’t stopped hitting (or getting on base) since. And while there are plenty of highlights already in his two-plus year stay with the Tigers, Beer’s performance over last week’s four-game stretch earns him this week’s PG/Rawlings Player of the Week honors. Beer, a physically gifted and sweet-swinging lefthanded hitter, managed to leave the yard four times (eclipsing double digits for the third straight year), though more impressive was he did so once in each game. Over the four-game stretch Beer managed to go 8-for-13 and drew four walks while driving in 12 and plating another seven runs of his own helping Clemson sweep the week and jump into the top 10.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Colton Eastman, Cal State Fullerton
This past Thursday Colton Eastman provided Cal State Fullerton with the fifth no-hitter in the history of a program with a long and rich tradition on the diamond. The lone win for the Titans this past week, Eastman was nearly perfect as he delivered nine strong innings of baseball in which he struck out seven and issued just a single free pass against Big West foe UC Santa Barbara. Filling the zone was a big reason for the Fullerton ace’s success as 74 of his 113 pitches crossed the plate for strikes. Checking in at No. 216 on the most recent rendition of the Perfect Game Top 250 draft prospect list, Eastman has had quite the start to the 2018 campaign, improving to 3-2 on the year with a 2.47 ERA and nearly a punchout per inning over 47 frames.

March 27, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Griffin Helms, Kennesaw State
The Owls opened the season as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Sun and should vie for the conference title at the end of the spring in part to their core group of seasoned and veteran bats. Now 12-12 on the year, Kennesaw State is coming off a clean sweep of Grambling State in which the offense exploded for 63 runs and at the middle of it all was senior catcher Griffin Helms. A strongly built, yet very athletic, 6-foot, 220-pounds, Helms not only sports one of the best profile pictures in all of college baseball but he’s having perhaps his best season to date. Over the three-game set this past weekend Helms managed to go 8-for-12 and of those eight knocks five were of the extra-base variety with three doubles and two home runs, doubling his total in long balls on the year. In addition to the thump he showed, Helms proved to be an on-base machine drawing three walks and accounted for 18 runs, 13 of which he drove in while scoring another five of his own.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Hunter Parsons, Maryland
Heading into the Sunday matchup against a Stetson squad who was on the verge of cracking the Top 25, junior righthander Hunter Parsons was handed the ball for the Terps and took care of the Hatters in dominating fashion while helping Maryland claim the series. Dominant over his last few starts this season, Parsons will have a tough timing topping the performance as he went the distance in a complete game, shutout effort and did so on just 101 pitches. He struck out a career-best nine batters and was in complete control from the first pitch of the game, never walking a batter while allowing just two singles and hitting a batter. Solidly built yet still projectable at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Parsons shows the ability to throw three pitches for strikes (worked at nearly a 70 percent clip last Sunday) while running his fastball into the low-90s with solid life as he induced 13 groundball outs to just five fly outs.

March 20, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Gage Canning, Arizona State
You’ll often find a .506 batting average in the first week or two of the college season, but rarely will a player be able to sustain that 20 games into the year, though that’s exactly what Gage Canning has done thus far for the Sun Devils. After a mid-week game in which he uncharacteristically went 0-for-4, Canning went on a tear over the weekend, going 10-for-13 in a sweep of Oregon which included his loudest performance during Saturday’s contest. Both of the California native’s home runs this season came during game two of the series (one coming as an inside-the-park variety), adding a triple and 13 total bases, providing for a large chuck of his impressive stat line. Overall, Canning completed his hardware-winning weekend with a double, two triples and two home runs, and he also walked four times and drove in seven while scoring eight runs.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss
It wasn’t a far-fetched idea to tab Nick Sandlin as the Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year despite the fact he was projected to open the year as the team’s closer. Then on opening weekend head coach Scott Berry tabbed Sandlin as his Friday night starter against Mississippi State and he’s been dominant each and every week. This past weekend may have been Sandlin’s best performance as he went seven innings over UTSA and continued to pound the zone just as he’s done all season, punching out 14 compared to just a single walk while scattering a mere three base hits. Sandlin may not light up the radar guns but he makes for one of the more uncomfortable at-bats in all of college baseball and his advanced command is instantly noticed as he has now struck out 55 in 34 innings while issuing just three walks and has held opponents to an incredibly low .180 batting average against.

March 13, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Troy Squires, Kentucky
For the second consecutive week a player from Kentucky has been named the PG/Rawlings Player of the Week. Not surprisingly the Wildcats continue to roll this spring and enjoyed a big series win over a talented Texas Tech club this past weekend in Lexington a week after going 3-0 at the Shriners College Classic in Houston. And while it was a true team effort, leadoff man Troy Squires was at the forefront of the offensive attack. A leadoff hitter who can get on base, Squires was huge in setting the tempo on offense and as evidenced by his 21 totals bases. He went 12-for-21 on the week and while a .571 batting average can be inflated from a barrage of singles, Squires did more than just slap the ball around the field. On top of his five singles he barreled up five doubles and also put two balls over the fence, driving in 11 runs while scoring another six in five games. Overall Kentucky went 3-2 on the week and jumped to No. 3 in Perfect Game’s latest rankings.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Casey Mize, Auburn
Already a heralded prospect for the 2018 MLB Draft, Auburn’s Casey Mize continued to throw like a top-of-the-draft talent as he was one fourth inning error away from turning in a perfect game this past Friday night. Instead the Tigers’ ace settled for a no-hit effort in which he was in complete control over Northeastern as he pounded the zone and struck out 13 on just 105 pitches. Still maintaining his mid-90s heater into the ninth with the same mid-80s, devastating splitter that has become so highly regarded, Mize helped Auburn to a 3-1 record on the week as they jumped to No. 14 in Perfect Game’s latest Top 25. A wish of good luck is in order even for opposing SEC offenses as the Georgia native is locked in as he now sports a 4-0 record over 25 1/3 innings, a span in which he has punched out 38 and has walked just three while surrendering a mere 10 base hits.

March 6, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Luke Heyer, Kentucky
The Kentucky Wildcats have opened the season with an 11-1 mark and went 4-0 this past week, including a clean sweep at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic in Houston. Taking home the Most Outstanding Player honors from the event was Luke Heyer, a senior infielder and outfielder who practically didn’t make an out the entire tournament, finishing with a .727 batting average in Houston and a .667 mark over the Cats’ four games last week. It’s more than just a high batting average for Heyer however as he picked up at least two hits in every game, and among the slew of base knocks were three home runs, including two against Houston, while driving in seven runs to help vault Kentucky to an undefeated week.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Aaron Hernandez, Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Perhaps not as famous a name as some of his peers in the 2018 MLB Draft class, you better get used to hearing Aaron Hernandez’s name, a righthander out of Texas A&M Corpus Christi, as there’s plenty of helium surrounding the Texas native. Gifted with a powerful right arm, which can help run his fastball into the upper-90s as a starter, Hernandez didn’t pitch last season for the Islanders though he did step onto the Cape for the summer season. Hernandez provided one of the best outings of his career over this past weekend, game two of a double-header against Utah Valley on Saturday, as he went the distance, tossing nine shutout frames in which he scattered seven hits. He proved his fastball plays and misses bats while pounding the zone, striking out 15 without issuing a walk, giving him 28 strikeouts to just seven walks on the year.

Feb. 27, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Brett Kinneman, NC State
The #Pack9 hashtag for NC State on Twitter is fitting for the club’s offense, as they scored nine runs in four of their five games last week, and 10 more runs in the fifth game, and at the center of it all was talented outfielder Brett Kinneman. Entering the week Kinneman hadn’t yet connected for a home run, something that quickly changed as he accounted for more than half of State’s eight home runs as he blasted five of his own and currently leads the team in homers. For the week, the Pennsylvania native went 13-for-21 (.619 batting average) with 15 RBI and a couple of stolen bags while picking up three walks (he has more walks than punchouts thus far) while showing the full array of tools scouts have come to know.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Joe DeMers, Washington
By all accounts, it was a perfect weekend for the Huskies ace as the 2014 Perfect Game All-American was dominant in his start against UC Riverside in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. From the first pitch of the game to the 84th and final pitch in the ninth inning, DeMers collected zeroes after zeroes and ultimately delivered Washington’s first perfect game in the school’s history. Anytime a pitcher can remain flawless over nine innings it’s worth detailing but the fashion in which the power-armed righthander did so was even more impressive: he needed only 84 pitches, recorded nine strikeouts, only once got to a three ball count and rarely exceeded 10 pitches an inning. There’s perfect, then there’s what DeMers did as he continued his scoreless streak to 15 innings to open the year, allowing just three base knocks during that time.

Feb. 20, 2018

Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week: Trevor Larnach, Oregon State
The tools have always been there for the Beavers' slugger, from the approach at the plate to the raw power and his all-fields approach, it was just a matter of time before it all came together. And it didn’t take Larnach long to make his presence felt in 2018 from Surprise, Arizona as the lefthanded hitter managed to go 8-for-9 on the weekend (.889 batting average) while drawing four walks and driving in seven runs. Of his eight hits, Larnach left the yard three times including two to the opposite field and a moonshot over the center field wall, on top of two doubles. Even more impressive than his three home runs is the fact he put one out in all three games, the first Oregon State player to do so since Michael Conforto in 2013.

Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week: Nolan Kingham, Texas
Ever since his days as a prep arm in Nevada, Nolan Kingham has had buzz around his big fastball which has attracted professional scouts who have followed him into this season, his draft eligible year. It’s safe to say he has started the 2018 season out on the right foot as the 6-foot-3 righthander went eight innings and scattered just three base hits (.115 average against) while punching out 10 and yielded just a single walk. A 10-game winner last season, Kingham was in complete control against a tough Louisiana squad, allowing just two hitters to reach second base and navigated his eight shutout frames on just 89 pitches. Impressive and efficient.

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