Firenzi, Hopf, Shileikis Earn MAAC's Weekly Awards
MAAC Sports
Firenzi, Hopf, Shileikis Earn MAAC Baseball Weekly Awards
Player of the Week
Anthony Firenzi - Niagara
Jr., OF, 6-3, 185, Corte Madera, Calif./College of Marin
The MAAC Player of the Week is Anthony Firenzi. Firenzi was the leadoff hitter for each of the Purple Eagles five games last week and hit for a .526 average after going 10-for-19 in games against both St. Bonaventure and Fairfield. He went 2-for-3 in both games of the doubleheader against the Little Three rival Bonnies, and collected an RBI in the second game of the series. The right fielder collected a pair of hits in each of the three games against Fairfield over the weekend to extend his current hitting streak to 17 games. His hot streak at the plate last week raised his batting average 39 points.
Pitcher of the Week
Zach Hopf – Saint Peter’s
Sr., RHP, 6-0, 200, Woodbridge, N.J. /Woodbridge
The MAAC Pitcher of the Week is Zach Hopf of Saint Peter’s. Hopf scattered six hits and struck out 13 to earn his second win of the year, a 3-0 victory over Rider. The senior struck out the side twice (in the second and the fifth), throwing 123 pitches, including 89 strikes. The win got the series off to a good start for the Peacocks, who went on to a three-game sweep, their first since 2007. Hopf also became Saint Peter’s all-time career strikeout leader with the effort. He entered the contest three K’s shy of the Peacocks’ previous all-time leader, Chris Innis (217, 2005-08), and surpassed Innis in the third inning with his second punch out of the frame.
Rookie of the Week
Brandon Shileikis - Quinnipiac
Fr., RHP, 6-1, 175, North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehobeth
The MAAC Rookie of the Week is Brandon Shileikis of Quinnipiac. Making just his second career start on Sunday, April 13, Shileikis tossed a nine-inning, complete game, one-hit shutout to put the capper on Quinnipiac’s three-game MAAC series sweep against Iona. Shileikis gave up a one-out single in the third inning that skipped under the glove of Quinnipiac’s third baseman, narrowly missing the second no-hitter in Quinnipiac history. He went on to face the minumum number of batters (15) over the final five innings of play for his first collegiate victory. Shileikis averaged just over 10 pitches per inning.