NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s Parker Noland and Lipscomb’s Noah Thompson were named the baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association for their efforts in contests from March 20-26.
Noland batted .533 (8-for-15) with three home runs, 14 RBIs and six runs scored in a three-game series at Mississippi State. The Knoxville, Tenn., native posted a 5-for-6 effort in the series opener with three runs scored and 11 RBIs, including grand slams in the sixth and seventh innings, becoming the fifth player in SEC history to hit two grand slams in a single game. He added a two-run single in the third inning and an RBI single in the fourth, registering a school single-game record for RBIs in the contest.
The senior collected two hits with two RBIs and three runs scored in the second game against the Bulldogs, including a solo homer in the fourth and an RBI groundout in a nine-run ninth inning for VU. In the series finale he recorded an RBI single in the third inning.
Noland is batting .290 with four doubles, five homers, 24 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 23 games this season.
Thompson tossed a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in the series-clinching victory at Queens University on Sunday for the Bisons despite an almost two-hour delay before the contest.
The graduate student from Louisville, Ky., retired the first 10 batters of the game before an error gave the Royals their first baserunner. The lefthander worked around a hit by pitch and a walk in the fifth and retired the side in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings before a single with two outs in the ninth broke up the no-hitter.
Thompson has tossed 29.2 innings this season with an era of 0.91, best in the Atlantic Sun, posting a 4-1 record and giving up just 12 hits in seven appearances with 31 strikeouts. He has not allowed a run in his last 23 innings on the mound.
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)
March 14 – Cole Turney, Cumberland University (Player); Jaden Hamm, Middle Tennessee (Pitcher)
March 21 – Gabe Jennings, Middle Tennessee (Player); Hunter Owen, Vanderbilt (Pitcher)