By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the fifth consecutive week, a member of the Tennessee Tech baseball took home accolades from the Ohio Valley Conference, as senior Matt Jones earned his first career adidas® OVC Player of the Week honor.
Jones helped the Golden Eagles to a perfect 5-0 week by hitting .667 (14-for-21) with 10 runs scored, four doubles, a home run, eight RBI, a 1.000 slugging percentage and .720 on-base percentage. The senior had multi-hit games in all five contests, including three hits twice and four hits against Alabama A&M.
In that contest he was 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI. He opened the week by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored against UNC Asheville, and in the second game of the Austin Peay series he was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
He capped the week by netting two hits and scoring three runs as TTU completed the sweep of Austin Peay to begin the season 20-6 overall and 9-0 in OVC play. Jones currently ranks sixth in the OVC in hits (36) and seventh in total bases (60).
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Joe McGuire, RHP • 5-11, 200, Sr. • Oxford, Ala. • Jacksonville State
McGuire pitched seven shutout innings as Jacksonville State topped Southern Illinois 7-0 on Sunday. The senior did not allow a base runner until the fifth inning and did not allow a hit until giving up a single in the sixth inning. He allowed only one other single before exiting the game after the seventh. McGuire struck out five and allowed only one walk in improving to 3-0 on the season. Michael McCreless and Justin Hoyt pitched the final two innings to complete the shutout. McGuire currently leads the OVC in E.R.A. (2.05).
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Mason McReaken, RHP • 5-10, 175, Jr. • Centralia, Ill. • SIUE
McReaken opened last week by pitching a perfect ninth inning, striking out all three Evansville batters he faced to notch his fifth save of the season (which ranks second in the OVC). On Sunday he entered the series finale against Southeast Missouri in the fifth inning with the Cougars trailing 5-0. SIUE rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning and the junior finished out the game to record his second win of the season. In that contest, over five innings McReaken allowed just three hits while striking out six and walking two.
Others Nominated: Connor Etheridge, Belmont; Dustin Wilson, Eastern Illinois; Casey Collins, Eastern Kentucky; Curtis Wilson, Morehead State.
Photo by Tony Marable