DENVER – New Mexico State infielder Michael Paulson and CSU Bakersfield left-hander Jeff McKenzie have been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for March 11-17.
Paulson, a junior from Sammamish, Wash. (Curtis HS), helped the Aggies to a 4-2 record last week with a four-game series sweep over Alabama A&M. Paulson hit .533 (8-for-15) with only a single strikeout over the six games. He also tallied four walks, seven RBI, four doubles, scored seven runs and a stolen base. Paulson went 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 3-2 loss to No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday and followed that by scoring three runs in game one of a four-game series against Alabama A&M on Friday. In a 24-4 win over Alabama A&M during Saturday’s doubleheader, Paulson was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored while also marking a double. He finished the week going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two RBI and a double as the Aggies defeated the Bulldogs 30-3 in seven innings. Paulson is now hitting .333 on the year with 10 RBI.
McKenzie, a senior from El Dorado Hills, Calif. (San Joaquin Delta College), pitched his second-straight complete game 9.0 inning shutout win in a 12-0 victory over Northern Colorado last week. McKenzie retired the first 15 UNC batters before giving up his only walk of the game to lead off the sixth inning. The first UNC hit came with one out in the sixth inning. He struck out 11 including the side of the ninth. McKenzie has not given up a run in his last 18.2 innings on the bump.
The other hitter of the week nominations: CSU Bakersfield junior shortstop Tyler Shryock ... Louisiana Tech sophomore catcher Jacob Derouen ... Sacramento State junior outfielder Justin Higley ... Seattle U senior infielder Nate Roberts ... Texas State sophomore infielder/outfielder Colby Targun ... UTSA sophomore infielder Horacio Correa III.
The other pitcher of the week nominations: Louisiana Tech senior Trevor Petersen ... New Mexico State sophomore Trey Higginbotham ... Sacramento State sophomore Ty Nichols ... Seattle U freshman Ted Hammond ... Texas State junior Kyle Finnegan ... UT Arlington junior Chase Weaver ... UTSA freshman Brock Hartson.