Northwestern State junior Chase Lyles received national merits after hitting .789 and four homeruns.-Courtesy: Southland.org
FRISCO, Texas – Northwestern State second baseman Chase Lyles has been named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and Stephen F. Austin righty Erich Lehmann has been named the Southland Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday.
A native of Plain Dealing, La., Lyles punished the Southeastern Louisiana pitching staff with an 11-for-14 (.786 avg.) showing at the plate as the Demons took two-of-three games at home against the Lions last week. The Demons’ junior, who this week also became the second Southland Conference player to be named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week in 2009, belted six extra-base hits, including four home runs, to go along with 10 RBI, nine runs scored and two stolen bases against the Lions. In the Demons’ series-opening win on Thursday, Lyles went 2-for-4 with two singles, two runs scored, a stolen base and a walk in a 12-4 win. On Friday, he went 4-for-5 with a pair of round-trippers, four RBI and a stolen base in a thrilling, 7-5 extra-inning loss. Still, Lyles saved his best for the finale, going 5-for-5 with six RBI, five runs scored, two home runs and a double in a mercy rule-shortened 19-9 on Sunday.
A product of Harvest Christian Academy, Lehmann put himself in line for a seventh consecutive win on Thursday against Lamar. The senior from Fort Worth, Texas, struck out eight while walking only one during six innings of one unearned-run, seven-hit baseball and left the game with the Lumberjacks leading 3-1. The start marked the seventh straight in which the Lumberjacks’ first weekly pitching honoree of 2009 posted such numbers. While he would finish his final home start with a no decision, Lehmann finished Stephen F. Austin’s home slate with a 4-0 record and a 1.79 earned run average while striking out 30 and walking four in 40.1 innings within the friendly confines of Jaycees Field.
Honorable mention for hitter of the week goes to Sam Houston State catcher Mark Wyatt and UTSA outfielder Michael Rockett, Central Arkansas right fielder Dillon Smith and UT Arlington right fielder Matt Otteman. Honorable mention for pitcher of the week goes to UTSA righty Kevin Clark and UT Arlington righty Andy Sauter. 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 Recipients
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
April 13
Michael Choice, UT Arlington
Tyler Minto, Nicholls State
April 20
Braedon Riley, Sam Houston State
Sean Weatherford, Sam Houston State
April 27
Brian Taylor, Lamar
Matt Crocker, UTSA
Sean Meyers, Stephen F. Austin
May 4
Quentin Luquette, Lamar
Ryan Zimmerman, Northwestern State
May 11
Ryan Hutson, UTSA
Sean Weatherford, Gillaume Duguay, Sam Houston State
May 18
Chase Lyles, Northwestern State
Erich Lehmann, Stephen F. Austin
