[2023 MIAA Baseball Athletes of the Week: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its Baseball Athletes of the Week for fourtht week of competition in the 2023 season.
 
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Matt Miller – Missouri Southern   
Matt Miller etched his name in the Missouri Southern record books after a historic week, becoming the career home run king while batting .471. Miller totaled eight runs scored off eight hits, had three home runs, nine RBI, and five walks drawn while slugging 1.059 with a .545 on-base percentage for a 1.604 OPS. The senior from Aurora, Mo. has hit a home run in four of the last five games has at least one RBI in six straight and drawn at least one walk in four of the last six games. Last Saturday, Miller delivered his 42nd career home run to pass Jim Baranoski, 1986-89 for the career home run record at MSSU, currently he is the leader in the MIAA for home runs with eight, second for slugging percentage and third for RBIs and OPS at 1.378.
 
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Garrett VanDeventer – Newman   
Garrett VanDeventer threw a three-hit complete game shutout against the No. 21 ranked Rogers State Hillcats for his second win of the season and first complete game of the season. Garrett allowed only one base runner to reach third base the entire game in route to his second career complete game. VanDeventer’s performance was the first time the No. 21 Hillcats have been shut out all season.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Austin Lambert – Central Oklahoma
Austin Lambert led No. 13 Central Oklahoma to a clean slate this week and batted .500 while doing so. The designated hitter went 6-for-12 with three doubles and six RBI. He also scored two runs in the process. Lambert had a .750 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage, adding two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He went 3-for-5 with three RBI in a midweek non-conference win at Southern Nazarene and also went 2-for-3 with two RBI in game two against league rival Missouri Western.
 
Cal Watkins – Washburn
Over the course of four wins last week, Cal Watkins compiled a .667 batting average going 14-of-21 at the plate to go with a .714 slugging percentage. He also scored eight times and collected four RBI. In the MIAA-opening doubleheader against Fort Hays State, Watkins went a combined 10-12 with a double and five runs scored. In 21 at bats last week, Watkins did not strike out once.
 
Pitchers
Chase Torkelson – Washburn
Chase Torkelson went 2-0 in two relief appearances last week and tossed a combined five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits, both were singles, and three walks while striking out six.
 
Lee Callison – Northeastern State
Lee Callison threw 103 pitches and was credited with a combined shutout of Emporia State last Friday afternoon. The senior allowed three hits in seven innings and struck out five batters.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Zane Knox (Fort Hays State), Max Holy (Central Missouri), Isaiah Keller (Northeastern State)
 
Pitters: James Wambold (Central Oklahoma), Brock Toney (Central Missouri), Alex Slocum (Northwest Missouri), Greg Ross (Emporia State), Luuk ter Beek (Fort Hays State)