FROM PRESS RELEASE
FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference Baseball players of the week were named today by the conference office as Texas State infielder Thomas Field, south paws Marc Picca of UT Arlington and Kris Ruepke of UTSA claimed pitcher of the week honors. Field is awarded his first honor of the season and team’s second. Ruepke is the fifth Roadrunner to garner weekly accolades marking the team’s fourth straight award, leading the conference. Picca joins teammate Nathan Long as the only Mavericks awarded weekly honors.
HITTER
Thomas Field, TXST, Sr., INF, Hewitt, Texas
In Texas State’s sweeping week, Thomas Field headed the offense, going 15-for-22 at the plate. Field added six extra-base hits, including three homeruns, contributing to a 1.227 slugging percentage. The Hewitt native grabbed 27 total bases on the week, 93 overall, a seventh place mark in the SLC. Field went 5-for-8 in the ‘Cats series with UTPA, scoring five
runs and batting in two. Game one against UCA, Field went 4-for-5, including a grand slam in the fifth inning, and fell a triple shy of hitting his second cycle of the season. Game two and three were just as prosperous for Field after leading off both contests with home runs. He finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in the run-rule outing and 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI in the final contest.
Honorable Mention: Michael Choice, UTA; Tyler Link, Chase Wheaton, AMCC.
PITCHER
Marc Picca, UTA, Fr., LHP, Fort Worth, Texas
Picca shut down No. 20 Texas at Disch-Falk Field, handing a 4-1 lead to the Mavericks bullpen to start the seventh. Heading into that Wednesday game, the Longhorns were averaging six runs per game over their previous 10 games.
Kris Ruepke, UTSA, Jr., LHP, Adel, Iowa
UTSA rode the left arm of Ruepke, who fired a three-hit shutout with a career-high eight strikeouts, and finished its second SLC sweep in as many weeks with a 7-0 victory against Stephen F. Austin on Sunday. Ruepke (4-2) was outstanding for the second Sunday in a row, as he did not allow a runner to reach second base in the 119-pitch masterpiece. Ruepke registered 18 first-pitch strikes, faced just five hitters over the minimum and six of his eight punchouts were looking. He finished strong, retiring nine of the final 10 Lumberjacks and 16 of 18 overall. Ruepke, who has won four of his last five decisions, is the second Roadrunner in the last month to throw consecutive complete games (senior Bradley Chovanec did so on March 29 and April 5). He has allowed just a pair of runs on nine hits and fanned 10 in his last two starts.
Honorable Mention: Heath Hennigan, NWLA; Kane Holbrooks, TXST; Wade Miley, SLU.
