Ben Soignier Named Sun Belt Hitter of the Week
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
NEW ORLEANS – ULM shortstop Ben Soignier and South Alabama pitcher Matt Jackson were named the Sun Belt Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, as decided on the by the league’s member institutions.
HITTER OF THE WEEK
Ben Soignier, ULM
Soignier was named MVP of the inaugural Warhawk Classic this past weekend after hitting .533 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBIs. The senior from West Monroe, La., scored six times and finished the weekend with a 1.000 slugging percentage.
He moved into fourth place on the ULM career hits list with 219 and third on the career runs scored list with 172. After the opening weekend, Soignier leads the Sun Belt in RBIs and total bases; he is tied for the SBC lead in hits, runs scored and home runs.
The Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year opened the season with a home run against Northwestern State on Friday night and then dominated Stephen F. Austin and Mississippi Valley State over the final two days.
Soignier went 7-for-11 from the plate and drove in eight runs over the final two games of the weekend. He had a grand slam and a double in ULM’s 24-7 victory over Stephen F. Austin – the 24 runs against the Lumberjacks were the most scored by any team in the country over the weekend. Soignier followed up that performance with a 4-for-5, three-RBI outing against the Delta Devils.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Matt Jackson, South Alabama
Jackson made his first start at South Alabama in the Jags’ season opener Friday night against Mercer. He earned the win after allowing just two hits and one walk over 7.1 shutout innings. He also recorded 10 strikeouts, more than any other SBC pitcher.
After transferring to USA from Chipola Community College, Jackson wasted no time making a name for himself in the conference. He recorded two strikeouts in each of the first four innings, including a string our four consecutive batters who went down swinging in the first and second innings. Jackson also allowed only one runner to advance past second base.
For his efforts in leading the Jags to a 2-1 record and a second-place finish in the 2009 Coca-Cola Classic, he was named tournament MVP. Additionally, Recruiting Closer named Jackson as one of its 12 national Pitchers of the week.
