DENVER – Nevada outfielder Brooks Klein and Sacramento State pitcher Tanner Mendonca have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for March 26-April 1.
Klein, a junior from Blue Diamond, Nev. (Western Nevada College), hit .533 (8-for-15) with two runs scored, a double, two triples, a home run and five RBI as the Wolf Pack went 3-1 on the week. In the final game of the week, the junior right fielder hit for the cycle, going a perfect 4-for-4 in Saturday’s 9-3 win over BYU. After being hit by a pitch in the first inning, he singled in the second, doubled in the fifth, hit a two-run homer in the seventh and completed the cycle with an RBI triple in the eighth. In addition, he scored two runs and drove in three in Saturday’s game. Klein began the week going 1-for-5 at UC Davis on Monday. Thursday, he collected two hits in four at bats, had a triple and drove in one. Friday, he was 1-for-2 and drove in the game-winning run as the Pack won 5-4. For the week, his on base percentage was .632 and he had a slugging percentage of 1.067.
Mendonca, a sophomore from Visalia, Calif. (Mt. Whitney HS), recorded his second shutout of the season in a 2-0 complete-game victory over CSU Bakersfield on Friday night. The sophomore allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out seven. Only one runner was able to advance to third base on Friday and Mendonca did not allow more than one hit in any inning. Mendonca has given up more than three runs in just one of his seven starts this season, including three complete games, and has a team-best four wins.
The other hitter of the week nominations: Fresno State sophomore catcher Austin Wynns … Hawaii junior short stop Pi’ikea Kitamura … Louisiana Tech junior second baseman Austin Hedges … New Mexico State junior catcher Zac Fisher … Sacramento State freshman infielder/outfielder Rhys Hoskins.
The other pitcher of the week nominations: Fresno State senior Taylor Garrison … Hawaii sophomore Jarrett Arakawa … Louisiana Tech junior Jamie Gilley … Nevada junior Tom Jameson … New Mexico State senior Scott Coffman.