KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The MIAA announced its 11th Baseball Athletes of the Week presented by
Mammoth Turf for the 2021 season. This week's Pitcher of the Week is Northeastern State's Nic Swanson while Emporia State's Christian Roduner earns the Hitter of the Week.
Swanson pitched NSU to a win over Central Missouri last weekend. The redshirt-freshman held UCM's top-of-the-MIAA bats to a .160 average and allowed just four hits. He struck out eight and lowered his ERA to the top in the nation of 1.21. Swanson was the first starter this season to allow zero earned runs to the Mules and was the primary reason for the win.
Roduner capped Senior Day at Emporia State by hitting for the cycle in his final home game. He started the doubleheader with two ground outs before going on a hot streak. He had an RBI double in the sixth to give the Hornets a 5-3 lead and then hit a two-run homer in the seventh to make it 12-3 on the way to a 13-3 win. In game two, he led off the second with a triple and would later score to tie the game at 2-2. He would single and score in the third before getting a lead-off home run in the fourth that gave the Hornets an 11-3 lead. He completed what is believed to be the first cycle by a Hornet in their NCAA era with a double down the left field line in the sixth for his sixth-straight hit. For the week, he slashed .750/.750/2.000 with two home runs, five runs scored and four RBI as Emporia State kept their MIAA tournament hopes alive.
Notable Performances (Listed alphabetically)
Jake Barton - Emporia State
Barton became just the 10th pitcher in Emporia State history with 200 career strikeouts in the Hornets' 4-1 win over Fort Hays State on Friday. Working on three days rest after throwing 99 pitches on Monday at NSU, Barton allowed only one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Xavier De Leon - Washburn
De Leon had the walk-off hit in the 11th inning to give the Ichabods a senior-day sweep over Newman on Saturday. He finished the three-game series 7-for-15 (.467) and scored five runs and had seven RBI. In game two of Saturday's doubleheader, he played a part in five of Washburn's seven runs and went 4-for-6 at the plate and scored twice and drove in three runs, including the game-winner.
Mason Green - Central Missouri
Green improved to 10-0 this season going 5.0 innings in a 16-1 win over Northeastern State. He struck out seven while allowing just four hits and one run.
Brett Karalius - Rogers State
Karalius led the Hillcats to a series-opening vitory against Central Oklahoma, tossing 7.1 innings, allowing one unearned run. He allowed just four hits and two walks with four strikeouts in a 3-1 victory for the Hillcats.
Joe Kinder - Missouri Southern State
Kinder helped the Lions to a 3-0 sweep of Northwest Missouri last week. For the week, Kinder hit .583 with an on-base percentage of .643 and a slugging of 1.167. He had seven hits, three RBI, a double and a pair of home runs.
Zach Parish - Missouri Southern State
Parish and the Lions went 3-0 on the weekend at Northwest Missouri State. Parish limited the Bearcats to just four hits over six innings, striking out 11 and allowing just one run en route to his ninth win of the year.
Dusty Stroup - Central Missouri
Stroup was an on-base machine for the Mules in the 2-1 series win over Northeastern State. He picked up seven hits in 12 at-bats to go along with three walks. Stroup also scored four times and drove in three. In the Mules' series finale win, Stroup was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.
Also Nominated
- Mitchell Austin - Newman
- Blaze Brothers - Northeastern State
- Mason Harvey - Rogers State
- Kade Wallace - Fort Hays State
- Conner Bond - Washburn
- David Henderson - Pittsburg State
- Tristan Wittau - Newman