FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin infielder/outfielder Brian Ferguson has been named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week and Lamar right hander Ricky Testa has been named the Southland Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It is the first weekly honor for Ferguson and the second weekly honor for Testa, who was the co-pitcher of the week Feb. 23.
Ferguson was 11-for-20 (.550) with seven runs batted in and six runs scored in five games last week, including 8-for-12 in the three-game series against UTSA. The senior from Sugar Land, Texas (Clements High School), is riding a 10-game hit streak after a 4-for-4 performance Sunday in a 12-7 win over UTSA, that clinched the series, two games to one. The Lumberjacks have won five of their last six games, including a 4-1 mark last week. Ferguson provided the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth in Sunday’s win after drawing his team within a run with a bases-loaded knock just two innings before. He opened the week with his first start in the cleanup spot, homering in his first at-bat and adding a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly in a 4-2 win over Houston Baptist. He finished with multiple hits in three of his five games, driving in at least one run in each of SFA’s wins.
Testa struck out 14 in 5 2/3 innings of relief Sunday to help Lamar complete a series sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with an 11-7 win. The senior from Mesquite, Texas (Poteet High School), entered the game in the fourth with two runners on and one out before he struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning. He later struck out 10 consecutive batters before a ground out to end the eighth and then struck out two in the ninth before a ground ball ended the game. His 14 strikeouts are tied for fourth most in a game in school history and are the second-highest in the Southland this year. Testa also worked three innings against UTPA on Tuesday and ranks second in the Southland with 55 strikeouts. Lamar won all five games last week.
Honorable mention for hitter of the week goes to Lamar infielder/designated hitter Chris Dunkin, Sam Houston State outfielder Tyler Knight and Texas State outfielder Bret Atwood. Honorable mention for pitcher of the week goes to UT Arlington left hander Ryan Robinson, Texas State right hander Kane Holbrooks and Stephen F. Austin right hander Richard Folmer. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland baseball sports information contacts.
Each school’s SID nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his or her own player.
2009 Southland Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week
Date Hitter Pitcher
Feb. 23 Michael Choice, UT Arlington Lance Dupuis, Nicholls State and Ricky Testa, Lamar
March 3 Shon Landry, McNeese State Jimmy Heard, Northwestern State
March 10 Jose Hernandez, UTSA Jeremy Cloud, Central Arkansas
March 16 Chris Murrill, Nicholls State Ryan Collins, Southeastern Louisiana
March 23 Jose Hernandez, UTSA Andy Sauter, UT Arlington
March 30 Justin O’Neal, Northwestern State Nathan Long, UT Arlington
April 6 Brian Ferguson, Stephen F. Austin Ricky Testa, Lamar
