 |
 Donovan Minero was named SoCon Player of the Week after batting .591 with three home runs and 12 RBI last week. |
|||||||||
 |
April 3, 2002
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina All-American centerfielder Donovan Minero was named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week, it was announced today.
Minero (San Jose, Calif./San Jose State/Gunderson HS) batted .591 (13-for-22) with three home runs, two doubles, seven runs scored and 12 RBI in helping WCU to a 5-0 record last week. The Catamounts defeated Binghamton 17-4 and 10-7, then swept Furman by scores of 8-3, 7-6 and 11-3. The sweep over Furman, combined with a sweep last week at Appalachian State, marks the first time WCU has had consecutive league series sweeps since 1999.
Minero was 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored in the first Binghamton game, while going 1-for-4 with two RBI, including the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning, in game two. In Friday's Furman game, the senior went 3-for-5 and, after a double in the seventh, scored what proved be to the game winning run in the frame. On Saturday, he went 2-for-4 with two RBI, including a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. On Sunday, Minero was 4-for-5 with two home runs. He accounted for six of Western's 11 runs with three RBI and three runs scored.
This is the second Player of the Week honor for Minero this season and the third for his two-year career. This additionally marks the fifth time this season - and the fourth consecutive week - that a Catamount has been recognized by the league. Todd Roper was named Co-Player of the Week this past week, Minero was Co-Player of the Week on Mar. 19, Jared Burton was Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 11 and Ryan Schade was Player of the Week on Feb. 19.
Minero, who led the SoCon with 17 home runs last season, once again leads the league in round-trippers with 10. He additionally leads the league with 40 RBI, while ranking sixth in the league in batting average (.398).
Western Carolina, winners of nine straight, will close out its current nine-game home stand with a three-game series with The Citadel this weekend (April 5-7) at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Game times are set for 3 pm on Friday, 1 pm on Saturday and 1 pm on Sunday.
|
|
 |
