PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly baseball honors for the week-ending Feb. 21.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Matthew Mika • Fr. • OF/3B • UCF
Mika led UCF to a series sweep of Siena in his first three games as a collegian as he hit .538 (7-for-13) and slugged 1.000 against the Saints. He scored nine runs and had two home runs and six RBIs in the three games. Mika capped UCF’s five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth in the series opener with a one-out single to give the Knights a 10-9 walk-off win.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
John King • Jr. • LHP • Houston
King played a key role in Houston’s season-opening sweep of Villanova as he held the Wildcat bats in check in the Cougars’ 4-0 win in Game 2 of the series. King threw 81 pitches in six innings, allowing one hit and two walks with nine strikeouts, and didn’t allow a runner to reach second base. King was making his first career start for the Cougars after transferring from Angelina College.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Turner Brown • Fr. • SS • East Carolina
Went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run and three RBIs in two games in East Carolina’s series sweep of Longwood. Went 3-for-3 in his collegiate debut.
Joe Davis • Fr. • 1B • Houston
Hit .556 (5-for-9) with a double, four walks and six RBIs in a three-game series sweep of Villanova. Had at least one hit and one RBI in all three games.
Kevin Merrell • So. • 2B • USF
Hit .462 (6-for-13) with a double, two RBIs, two walks and two stolen bases to help USF go 2-1 against Liberty. Went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the season-opener.
Alex Massey • Sr. • RHP • Tulane
Worked seven shutout innings and allowed four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in a 3-0 win against Illinois.
Jeremy Montalbano • Jr. • DH • Tulane
Transfer from Texas hit .385 (5-for-13) in three games, including a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the season-opener, to help Tulane go 2-1 against Illinois.