BASEBALL: Vanderbilt’s Thomas, Rocker named TSWA Players of the Week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s Isaiah Thomas and Kumar Rocker earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively, for games from March 8-14.
Thomas batted .412 (7-for-17) with two doubles, three home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored in four games for the Commodores.
The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., native posted two hits with an RBI double and a stolen base in a midweek contest against Memphis. The junior was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base in the first game of a doubleheader at Oklahoma State and belted his second homer of the season with a three-run shot in the second contest versus the Cowboys, adding two runs scored.
Thomas finished the weekend 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs in the series finale, including another homer. He is batting .314 with four doubles, four home runs, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 14 games this year.
Rocker tossed 8.0 shutout innings, a season-long appearance, allowing just two hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in a 5-0 victory at Oklahoma State.
The Athens, Ga., native faced just three batters over the minimum in his eight frames of work, retiring the side in order five times as well as 18 of the final 20 batters he faced. He induced 12 ground ball outs and only one baserunner got as far as second base.
Rocker upped his mark to 4-0 this season and has yet to allow an earned run (one unearned run over four appearances and 23.0 innings), giving up just eight hits with eight walks and 34 strikeouts. Opponents are batting only .108 against the righthander this year.
2021 TSWA BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
February 23 – Andrew Keene, Lincoln Memorial (Player); Gunner Becker, Tusculum University (Pitcher)
March 2 – Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt (Player); Joshua South, Belmont (Pitcher)
March 10 – Fuzzy Furr, Tusculum University (Player); Elijah Pleasants, Tennessee (Pitcher)
SOFTBALL: Carson-Newman’s Smith, King’s Counts garner TSWA Player of the Week honors
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman’s Shannon Smith and King University’s Nikole Counts earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week accolades, respectively, for games from March 8-14.
Smith batted .556 (5-for-9) in two games for the Eagles against Limestone University with five runs scored and nine RBIs.
The Channahon, Ill., native collected two hits and drove in four runs with one run scored in the first game of the doubleheader, posting a pair of two-run singles. In the second contest the sophomore was 3-for-5 with four runs scored and five RBIs, including an RBI single and a three-run homer.
Smith is batting .389 with five doubles, five home runs, 26 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 14 outings this season.
Counts registered a 1-1 mark with a 1.08 ERA over 13.0 innings in two outings, allowing just nine hits and two earned runs.
The Clintwood, Va., native tossed seven innings at Emmanuel College, scattering six hits and giving up two unearned runs with one walk and four strikeouts in a 4-2 victory. She retired the side in order just once, working around nine baserunners in the contest.
The sophomore righthander allowed two earned runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts in a 3-0 loss at Erskine College. The Flying Fleet scored all three runs in the first three batters of the game before Counts retired 18 of the next 22 batters.
She has posted a 5-2 mark with a 1.04 ERA this season in eight appearances over 47.0 innings, giving up 35 hits with 10 walks and 30 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .198 against Counts.
2021 TSWA SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
February 23 – Katie Eakes, Carson-Newman (Player); Nikole Counts, King University (Pitcher)
March 10 – Carly Turner, King University (Player); Raygn Hall, Trevecca University (Pitcher)