For the second straight week, the Conference USA Hitter of the Week award will be shared by two players. Rice junior C Adam Zornes and Tulane freshman 3B Rob Segedin split this week’s honor after strong performances at the plate last week. The Pitcher of the Week award went to Houston sophomore RHP John Touchton, who had a win in a starting role and an effective relief appearance in two outings last week.
Zornes was one of the Owls’ offensive leaders last week to help the team go 4-0 and stretch its win streak to 11 games. Zornes hit safely in all four games to extend his current hitting streak to eight games. He batted a composite .500, collecting eight hits in 16 at bats with two home runs and a double for a team-leading .938 slugging percentage. For the week, he drove in a team-leading 10 runs and he scored four times. Zornes drew three walks, twice intentionally, for a team-best .579 on-base percentage.
Segedin hit .600 (9-for-15) with a 1.000 slugging percentage with two home runs, seven RBI and a stolen base during Tulane’s 3-1 week. He had at least two hits and an RBI in all four games, including a three-hit contest on Sunday vs. Southern Miss. Segedin recorded two hits in Tuesday, Friday and Saturday’s ballgames, and drove in a pair of runs on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. He posted a .647 on-base percentage with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Segedin also posted a pair of saves with 2.0 scoreless frames vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday and a series-clinching 2.0 perfect innings on Saturday vs. Southern Miss when he struck out three of the six batters he faced.
Touchton made two appearances last week, starting at Stephen F. Austin and coming out the bullpen at UAB on Saturday to pitch a combined 9.1 innings. He recorded a career-high six strikeouts in both appearances to finish the week with 12 K’s and just one walk. Touchton earned his third win of the season at SFA with six scoreless innings in which he allowed just four hits. He extended his string of scoreless innings to 8.1 before surrendering a solo home run in the eighth inning at UAB.
