FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina junior first baseman Dustin Ackley has been named Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week, while Virginia freshman pitcher Danny Hultzen has been recognized as ACC Pitcher of the Week.
Ackley led No. 1 North Carolina to an unbeaten week by hitting .647 (11-for-17) with four home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored. The Walnut Cove, N.C., native also slugged 1.412 and reached base at a .700 clip in four Tar Heel victories.
Ackley’s four homers came over a span of just seven trips to the plate, including two home runs in Wednesday’s win over Appalachian State for his third career multi-home run game. He was 4-for-4 in that win over the Mountaineers for his 11th career game with four-plus hits. Ackley went 6-for-9 in a two-game series sweep at Virginia Tech with three hits and two RBI in each game. On the season, he is batting .426 with 20 runs, four home runs and 11 RBI.
The Cavaliers’ Hultzen turned in a dominating performance in last Friday night’s win over visiting 18th-ranked Florida State, striking out a career-high 13 while matching a career-best of seven innings pitched as he improved to 4-0 this year and Virginia improved to 15-0. Hultzen’s efforts helped the Cavaliers end the weekend as the nation’s only remaining unbeaten NCAA Division I team.
From the first through third innings, Hultzen struck out seven straight batters. The Bethesda, Md., native did not allow a runner past first base until he gave up a solo home run in the seventh inning. Hultzen boasts a 1.04 ERA thus far and has struck out 39 batters in 26 innings.
