BTN.com staff, February 20, 2012
The Big Ten Conference handed out the season's first Big Ten Baseball Players of the Week for Feb. 13-19 action on Monday. There were a handful of winners, so see who they all are what they did to earn the honors in this post.
Player of the Week: Josh Dezse, Ohio State, 1B/RHP - So. - Powell, Ohio - Olentangy Liberty
- Hit .500 (7-for-14), reached base at a .533 clip and slugged .714 as Ohio State went 2-1 in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge with wins over Seton Hall and Connecticut
- Recorded multiple hits in all three contests, including a 3-for-5 performance against USF in the season-opener
- Combined to drive in five runs and scored four times over the weekend
- Earns his second career Player of the Week award
- Last Ohio State Player of the Week: Josh Dezse (May 2, 2011)
Co-Pitcher of the Week: Tony Bucciferro, Michigan State, RHP - Sr. - Joliet, Ill. - Minooka Community
- Tossed six shutout innings to lead Michigan State to an opening day win over nationally ranked St. John?s on Friday at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge
- Allowed just one hit and struck out six in the outing, retiring the first 13 batters he faced
- Picked up his 21st career victory, moving into a tie for sixth in program history
- Earns his second career Pitcher of the Week honor
- Last Michigan State Pitcher of the Week: Tony Bucciferro (April 11, 2011)
Lance Breedlove, Purdue, RHP - Sr. - Long Beach, Calif. - Los Alamitos
- Threw seven scoreless innings to lead Purdue to a win over Cincinnati on Saturday in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge
- Struck out 11 batters and allowed just two base hits in the start
- Eleven strikeouts marks a career high and is the highest total by a Purdue pitcher since March of 2010
- Picks up his first career Pitcher of the Week accolade
- Last Purdue Pitcher of the Week: Joe Haase (April 4, 2011)
Co-Freshman of the Week: John Kravetz, Illinois, RHP - Lansing, Ill. - Mount Carmel
- Threw 6.2 innings of shutout ball to lead Illinois to a win over nationally ranked St. John?s in the team?s closing game of the Big Ten/Big East Challenge
- Allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out six in a relief appearance
- Entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the first and induced an inning-ending double play with his first pitch
- Earns his first career weekly honor
- Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Thomas Lindauer (March 21, 2011)
Luke Dauch, Northwestern, OF - Bloomfield Hills, Mich. - Lahser
- Hit .714 (5-for-7), reached base at a .778 clip and slugged 1.286 to combine for an OPS of 2.064 over three games at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge
- Hit safely in each of his first three collegiate games, recording multiple hits in each of his first two contests
- Slugged a double and a triple in Northwestern?s win over Pittsburgh, scoring two runs and driving in a pair
- Collects his first weekly conference award
- Last Northwestern Freshman of the Week: Ethan Bramschreiber (April 11, 2011)