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 Senior transfer Kenny Smith was today named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for the week ending May 14 after hitting .591 with six extra base hits. |
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May 14, 2007
Cullowhee, N.C. - After helping to lead Western Carolina to a perfect 5-0 record last week, Catamount baseball senior second baseman Kenny Smith was today named the Southern Conference Player of the Week. This is the second award of the season for Smith, who was also recognized for his performance back on Feb. 26.
Western has had three different individuals honored four times this season as SoCon Player of the Week as Smith (May 14, Feb. 26), senior John Ingram (March 12) and junior centerfielder Barrett Shaft (April 2) have each been recognized. A trio of Catamount pitchers have also been honored by the SoCon this season including junior Greg Holland (April 23), freshman Chris Masters (April 30) and junior Tyler Sexton (May 7).
Smith led the Catamounts with a .591 (13-for-22) batting average last week, scoring 14 runs and driving in 13 as Western swept a pair of road series ncluding a two-game series over Big Ten-member, Ohio State, and its fourth SoCon series sweep of the year with three-straight wins over Wofford. The Asheville, N.C., native secured a hit in all five games, posting four multi-hit games in the process with three doubles, a triple and two home runs. The triple, Smith's fourth of the season, tied him for 10th on WCU's single-season leader board. With 24 total bases on the week, Smith posted a 1.061 slugging percentage.
In addition to his prowess at the plate, Smith recorded 17 assists with no errors at second base for a perfect, 1.000 fielding percentage.
All told last week, in addition to Smith, five Catamounts boasted batting averages over .340 with five hitting two-or-more home runs as Western amassed 21 long balls in five weekly outings. Junior Blake Murphy, who was dubbed a "Louisville Slugger" National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball, led WCU with six home runs, followed by five from Ingram, four apiece by juniors Jonathan Greene and Steven Strausbaugh and two from the weekly honoree, Smith.
Entering the final week of the regular season, Smith currently leads both the team and the SoCon with a .420 (87-of-207) batting average while ranking second in the league with a WCU-best .821 slugging percentage. With a league-leading 74 RBI - which moved him into a tie for third on the school's single-season RBI chart - Smith is just 10 back of tying the school record and 13 runs driven in shy of tying the SoCon mark of 87 set in 2005 by Chris Campbell of the College of Charleston. Smith additionally ranks first in total bases (170), second in home runs (18), tied for second in doubles (18) and tied for fourth in triples (4).
Western Carolina will wrap up the 2007 regular season with four games in Cullowhee this week, beginning with a non-conference tilt against the High Point Panthers on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Western pounded out 17 base hits as a part of a 15-8 win over Panthers on the road back on April 24.
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