Digger Towe
After helping lead UAB to a series victory over No. 4 Rice, the highest-ranked team that the Blazers have ever won a series against, junior DH Digger Towe has been named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week. The Pitcher of the Week honor went to East Carolina sophomore right-hander Seth Maness, who improved to 9-0 with an impressive outing against Memphis on Friday night.
Towe lifted UAB to a 7-5 victory over Rice in Thursday’s series opener with a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that proved to be the game-winner. Asked to pinch hit with two runners on and two outs, Towe sent the second pitch he saw from Rice’s Jordan Rogers deep over the right field fence. He went on two hit .750 (6-for-8) for the series, hitting safely in each game and also walking twice for an .800 on-base percentage. The junior C/DH drove in six runs and scored five times in the series while posting a 1.250 slugging percentage and helping the Blazers take two out of three games from the fourth-ranked Owls. In Saturday’s series finale, Towe collected three hits, including an RBI double, and scored three times in UAB’s come-from-behind 15-12 victory. This is Towe’s second C-USA Hitter of the Week honor this season, as he also earned it on March 17 when he was named National Hitter of the Week.
Maness improved to 9-0 on the season after picking up a 9-1 win on Friday against Memphis. With the win, he has won his last seven starts, including six straight in league play. Maness finished 7-0 in league play, which is the most conference wins in C-USA. The right-handed sophomore worked seven innings, allowing one run on six hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. In Maness’ seven innings, he had three consecutive 1-2-3 innings (four overall), struck out the side in the second inning, while also fanning two batters in the third and seventh innings. On the season he owns a 3.99 ERA with two saves in 88.0 innings and has struck out 76 batters to just 14 walks. This is the second time this season (Apr. 13) that the 2008 Conference Freshman of the Year has earned Pitcher of the Week honors.
