BTN.com staff, March 4, 2012
The Big Ten Conference released its Big Ten Baseball Players of the Week for Feb. 27-March 4 on Monday. See all the winners and check out what they did to earn the distinctions in this post.
Player of the Week: Michael O?Neill, Michigan, OF - So. - Powell, Ohio - Olentangy Liberty
- Recorded multiple hits in four of five games last week, finishing the week with a .500 average (11-for-22), currently ranking second in the Big Ten with a .480 average this season
- Hit home runs in three straight games and now leads the Big Ten with a .940 slugging percentage and five long balls this season
- Drove in nine runs and scored eight, recording at least one RBI or run scored in each of Michigan?s five games last week
- Earns his second consecutive Player of the Week award and the second of his career
- Last Michigan Player of the Week: Michael O?Neill (Feb. 27, 2012)
Pitcher of the Week: Nick Wittgren, PUR, RHP - Jr. - Lafayette, Ind. - McCutcheon
- Picked up saves in Purdue?s wins against Auburn and Charleston Southern, tying the all-time program record with 15 in his career
- Entered the game vs. Auburn with the bases loaded and no outs, closing out the win by stranding the potential tying run in scoring position with a strikeout
- Retired five of the seven Charleston Southern batters he faced, striking out the leadoff hitter with the bases loaded for the final out of the eighth inning
- Earns his first career weekly honor
- Last Purdue Pitcher of the Week: Lance Breedlove (Feb. 20, 2012)
Freshman of the Week: Kyle Schwarber, IND, C - Fr. - Middletown, Ohio - Middletown
- Hit .545, reached base at a .615 clip and compiled a slugging percentage of 1.273 to combine for an OPS of 1.888 in Indiana?s three-game series with East Tennessee State
- Hit two home runs and a triple, including a game-changing grand slam in the fifth inning of Game 2
- Drove in six runs, scored three and had two multiple-hit games over the weekend
- Collects his first weekly accolade
- Last Indiana Player of the Week: Chris Sujka (Feb. 27, 2012)