MAC East Division Player of the Week
Marc Krauss, Ohio, LF/3B
Junior, Deshler, Ohio (Patrick Henry)
Krauss had a monster week, belting five home runs in as many games during the week, giving him six homers in his last six games and moving him into a tie for ninth on Ohio’s career home runs list with 31. Five of his eight hits left the park for a slugging percentage of 1.211 and he walked four times, moving him into fifth place on Ohio’s career walks list (102), while helping him to an on-base percentage of .522 for the week. He recorded his third multi-homer game of the year in game two Saturday, a 15-7 Ohio win over Toledo. In game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, Krauss threw out the tying run at home plate from left field in the seventh inning to preserve Ohio’s 2-1 win. He totaled 23 bases, had two three-RBI games (3/31 and 4/1) and a four-RBI game (4/4) during the week, and had a 1.000 fielding percentage in five starts at either third base or in left field. Krauss is also now in eighth place on Ohio’s career total bases ledger with 324.
MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week
Andrew Chafin, Kent State, Freshman
Wakeman, Ohio (Western Reserve)
Chafin improved to 3-0 on the year when he threw the final three innings against Malone on Tuesday (March 31). In the top of the 10th, he pitched out of a jam as the Pioneers had a runner on third base with no outs. Friday against Northern Illinois, Chafin earned his team-leading fourth save of the year by throwing the final three innings. Chafin allowed only one hit while striking out seven of the nine outs he recorded. He struck out the side in the top of the eighth against NIU. In three of six innings pitched this week, Chafin struck out every batter he faced.
MAC West Division Player of the Week
Ian Nielsen, Ball State, 1B
Freshman, La Porte, Ind. (La Porte)
Nielsen guided the Cardinals to a doubleheader sweep of Buffalo and a 2-1 overall weekend as he posted a .538 (seven-of-13) batting average on the week. He was six-of-nine (.667) over the weekend against Buffalo and drove in five runs against the Bulls. He posted two three-hit contests in the doubleheader and four of his five RBI came with two outs. He raised his freshman campaign batting average to .374, which is second-highest on the team.
MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week
Rick Dodridge, Central Michigan, Freshman
West Branch, Mich. (Ogemaw Heights )
Dodridge tossed the best game of his young collegiate career against Wayne State on Tuesday, giving up just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out 11 batters in 7.0 innings. He struck out the side twice, including a streak that saw him fan eight of 13 batters to close out his day.
