Oregon State junior shortstop Ryan Dunn (Bend, Ore.) and Virginia junior lefthander Danny Hultzen (Bethesda, Md,) have been tabbed for top honors among the CB360 week-8 Primetime Performers for Division I baseball (April 4-10). front-page photo courtesy of Oregon State
Dunn is the Primetime Player of the Week and Hultzen the Primetime Pitcher for the week of April 4-10, as selected by CollegeBaseball360.com. Eight other players round out the week-8 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll (listed below).
DUNN delivered consistent and clutch play in the field and while batting from the bottom of the lineup, as the Beavers (cb360 E19) posted an 11-1 midweek win over Portland and then became the first Pac-10 team since 1999 to sweep Arizona State (cb360 #5; 5-3, 7-6, 9-6). He hit 6-for-14 during the week while factoring into 10 of his team’s runs (6 RBI, 5 R, HR), with 12 total bases (HR, 3 2B).
Twice during the ASU series, Dunn put the Beavers up for good with timely doubles. His 2-out/2-run double pushed Oregon State to 7th-inning, 3-2 lead in the tense opener (the clutch hit sparked a 4-run bottom of the 7th for the home team). He added two hits, an RBI and run scored in the series-clinching second game – followed by a 2nd-inning home run and another 2-run double (in the 3rd) to transform a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead in the series finale.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder is hitting .292 for the season, with 14 RBI.
HULTZEN added to his masterful season and career by winning the opener at Georgia Tech (cb360 #9), outdueling fellow top pitcher Mark Pope in the 6-2 opener. The 6-3, 200-pound lefthander allowed only one earned run (one unearned) while taking his strong outing into the 9th. He racked up 12 strikeouts while yielding a single walk and scattering seven hits in the pressure-packed showdown – versus a high-powered offense that boasted a .331 team batting average.
Hultzen now shares the Virginia record for career wis (27) and owns 13 career games with double-digit strikeouts (the Cavaliers have won each of those games). His other career stats include 320 strikeouts (a UVa record and 15th in ACC history). His 90 Ks this season are 25 more than any other pitcher in the conference, with his other season stats including a 1.33 ERA, a lowly .181 opp. batting avg. and an eye-popping 9.0 k-to-walk ratio (90/10; 14.9 Ks per 9 IP).
The week-8 Primetime Performers feature two shortstops, a pair of first basemen, and two lefthanded pitchers, plus a catcher, third baseman, outfielder and RHP. The 10 honorees include six juniors, two sophomores, a senior and freshman – with three of them hailing from California hometowns, plus one each from the following home states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Oregon.
Primetime Performer Award Criteria (not based solely on raw stats, but rather …)
• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings) or performed a high level in games that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification; made significant contribution to team’s postseason positioning (single-game wins, “quality” wins, series wins, road wins, etc.).
• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, key defensive efforts, etc.
• Performed at a top level against a team rated highly nationally (or within its conference), with bonus consideration given for key performances away from home field and vs. traditional rivals.
• Overcame adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).
• Any accomplishment that is rare, historic, record-setting, etc., on a national level.
(week of April 4-10, 2011 … presented by CollegeBaseball360.com)
James McCann (Arkansas…C…Jr…Santa Barbara, CA…6-3/210…Bats: R…6/7-hole…#27)
Colin Moran (North Carolina … 3B … Fr. … Rye, NY … 6-3/180 … Bats: L … 5-hole …. #18)
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Scott Heylman (UC Davis … SS … Sr. … San Diego, CA)
5-11/185 … Bats: R … #2-hole … #7
6-2/205 … #32
James McCann (Arkansas … C … Jr. … Santa Barbara, CA)
6-3/210 … Bats: R … 6/7-hole … #27
Had several key offensive plays during team’s four-game week that included four tight victories: 6-5 vs. #30 Texas State and a sweep of SEC series vs. #16 LSU (2-0; 4-3; 5-4) … blasted dramatic game-ending grand slam in second game vs. LSU, as Razordbacks answered three runs in the top of the 9th with rally that clinched the series … also had another hit earlier in that key game … reached base twice (H, BB) and stole a base in midweek win over the Bobcats …. added a single, hit-by-pitch and another stolen bases in the low-scoring opener vs. LSU … had leadoff single in bottom of 6th and scored for 4-4 tie in series finale, with the Razorbacks winning an another 9th-inning rally.
6-3/180 … Bats: L … 5-hole …. #18
Launched a pair of grand slams during the week while racking up 15 RBI, as Trojans had key statement week with 14-6 win over #38 Auburn and series win over Sunbelt Conference contender Florida International (4-0, 9-5, 4-12) … his stats for the week included batting 9-for-15 (.600) with a 1.133 slugging pct., four runs scored and one base-on-balls … opened his big week with four hits – including two doubles and a grand slam (9 total bases) – while totaling a career-high seven RBI in key win over the Tigers … started the FIU series with two more hits and a couple RBI … added a 3-hit game in the series-clinching victory, with his six RBI in that game including another grand slam that flipped a 5-3 deficit into a 7-5 lead.
Earned key series-tying victory versus Big West rival UC Irvine (cb360 #29), logging 7.2 strong innings (lone run allowed came in the 2nd) while striking out nine Anteaters … Fullerton went on to win game-3 and earn a leg up in the league standings … helped Titans recover after losing opener in a 15-3 blowout … scattered seven hits and issued only one walk … faced the minimum 14 batters through the first 4.2 innings … lowered his season ERA to 1.98, with a lofty 6.4 K-to-walk ratio (64/10).
6-2/195 … Bats: L … cleanup … #19
JC transfer newcomer who is making a big impact for the Tigers, most recently in the past week during 9-2 win over #33 Mississippi and series win over #15 Southern Mississippi (6-5, 16-8, 5-8) … has jumpstarted the Memphis offense while hitting from middle of the order, with his week-8 production including a .529 batting avg. (9-for-17), eight RBI and a pair of home runs … his other stats for the week included five runs scored, three walks (12 total times on-base) and a timely sacrifice bunt … showed his offensive versatility in the opening win vs. Southern Mississippi, with five quality plate appearances included a 4-for-4 day, two RBI and the key sacrifice bunt in the 9th inning over that comeback victory … returned the next day to drive in six runs while smacking a pair of home runs in the series-clinching victory … added another hit and run scored in the series finale … also reached base on a walk in the midweek win over Ole Miss … batting .345 for the season, including .480 in Conference USA play.
6-0/180 … Bats: L … 5-hole … #18
Compiled series of quality plate appearances during series sweep of SEC West-Division leader Alabama (cb360 #20; 11-3, 7-0, 11-6) … hit 6-for-10 during the series and factored into 11 of his teams runs (4 RBI, 7 R), also reaching base on a walk while adding key execution on a sacrifice bunt and sac-fly … opened series by batting 2-for-4 with pair of RBI, two runs scored and a double … drove in a run and scored twice (after a single and walk) in series-clincher … closed series with strong all-around game, batting 3-for-3 (RBI, 3 R) with a sac-bunt, sac-fly and stolen base … reached base three times and scored twice in 9-1 midweek win over Middle Tennessee (BB, 2 HBP).