NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cumberland’s Cole Turney and Middle Tennessee’s Jaden Hamm were named the baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association for their efforts in contests from March 6-12.
Turney batted .636 (7-for-11) with six home runs, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored in four games for the Phoenix. The Richmond, Texas, native hit a two-run homer in the first inning and scored twice in a midweek contest at Bryan College.
The senior outfielder belted three home runs in the first of a three-game series against Shawnee State, including a solo shot in the third, a two-run blast in the fourth and another two-run homer in the fifth. He drilled a three-run homer, walked three times and scored three runs in the second game versus the Bears and added a two-run shot among two hits in the series finale.
Turney is batting .551 with four doubles, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs and 25 runs scored through 18 games this season. He has 19 walks and just six strikeouts in 73 plate appearances.
Hamm tossed a one-hit, complete-game shutout in the series opener against Evansville for the Blue Raiders. The Culleoka, Tenn., native walked three and struck out 11, posting the first nine-inning, one-hit complete-game shutout for the program since Bob Hardin in 1976.
Evansville’s only hit was of the infield variety to leadoff the sixth inning, but the junior righthander induced an inning-ending doubleplay to escape a 1st-and-3rd jam with one out in a 1-0 contest. The Blue Raiders also turned a doubleplay to end the third inning and Hamm faced only four batters over the minimum in the complete game.
Hamm improved to 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 28.0 innings over four appearances this year, allowing 23 hits with six walks and 36 strikeouts.
2022-23 TSWA BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
February 21 – Jack Roode, University of the South (Player); Jaden Hamm, Middle Tennessee (Pitcher)
February 28 – Jared Dickey, Tennessee (Player); Chase Burns, Tennessee (Pitcher)
March 7 – Blake Burke, Tennessee (Player); Chase Dollander, Tennessee (Pitcher)