By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – At the forefront of an offensive onslaught this past week that led to a 5-0 record for the Tennessee Tech baseball team and helped the Golden Eagles outscore their opponents 64-16, senior Daniel Miles has been named adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Co-Player of the Week.
The third baseman performed exceptionally well over the week, batting .474 with nine hits and seven runs scored. More impressively, he led the team with 11 RBI in five games while crushing two home runs and a double. He finished with a slugging percentage of .842 and a .583 on-base percentage after gathering four free passes.
Miles swung his way into the record books on Saturday, breaking the Tech single-game mark for RBI in a contest, driving in eight runs in the second game of a doubleheader against NYIT. He connected on four of his five at-bats, including two home runs and a double, scoring three runs while walking once and helping the Golden Eagles to a mammoth, 19-3 victory.
On the season, Miles ranks second on the Tech squad and fifth in the OVC with both batting average and slugging percentage with marks of .438 and .688, respectively. The native of Pascagoula, Miss., ranks second in the league and on the team with 11 RBI. He also ranks in the top three on the team and top five in the OVC in runs scored, hits, on-base percentage, home runs, walks, and total bases.
Here's a look at the rest of the awards in the OVC this week:
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Drew Ferguson, OF • Jr., 5-11, 170 • Knoxville, Tenn. • Belmont
In four games last week Ferguson hit .533 (8-for-15) with seven runs scored, four home runs, six RBI, a 1.333 slugging percentage and .556 on-base percentage. He opened the week by going 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in the team's 7-3 victory over Western Kentucky. He followed that performance with a home run and three runs scored in Friday's win over Miami (Ohio) and added three hits, including a home run, Saturday against Indiana State. Ferguson has hit safely in all seven Belmont games this season and ranks second in the OVC in batting (.500) and first in home runs (4).
Others Nominated: Ryan Sebra, Jacksonville State; Brandon Rawe, Morehead State; Ty Stetson, Murray State; Matt Tellor, Southeast Missouri; Ben Upton, UT Martin.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Iago, RHP • Jr., 6-3, 185 • Newcastle, Okla. • Southeast Missouri
Iago improved to 2-0 on the season by striking out nine and not allowing a run in six innings of Friday's 18-0 victory over IPFW. The junior scattered three hits (one in each of the first three innings) and walked only one batter. After allowing a single to start the third inning, Iago retired the final 11 batters he faced, including striking out the side in the sixth inning, before leaving the game.
Others Nominated: James Buckelew, Belmont; Matt Borens, Eastern Illinois; Tanner Perkins, Eastern Kentucky; Taylor Shields, Jacksonville State; Tyler Keele, Morehead State; Sheldon Baxter, Murray State; David Hess, Tennessee Tech.
