STANDISH, ME – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has released its weekly honors and two Saint Joseph's College baseball players have received accolades.
Junior second baseman Brandon Chase (Naples, Maine/Lake Region) has been selected as the GNAC Player of the Week and freshman catcher Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus) has collected GNAC Rookie of the Week honors.
Chase recorded an impressive week at the plate, hitting .533 (8-15) with a .611 OBP and a staggering 1.267 slugging percentage in five contests. The speedy infielder scored six runs, with a double, two triples, two home runs, six RBI and three stolen bases during the 4-1 week and was 3-4 with a run, a three-bagger, and a pair of RBI in a victory over Maine-Farmington on Friday. For Chase, the weekly top-player honor is a career-first.
Lops continued to punish opposing pitchers, hitting .400 (6-15) with a triple and three RBI in a five contests last week. The first-year catcher was 2-3 with an RBI in a loss to Bowdoin College on Monday and went 3-8 with a triple and an RBI in a sweep over Lasell College on Tuesday. A two-time GNAC Honor Roll recipient, the weekly top-rookie accolade is the first of his career.
Chase is currently hitting .361 (30-83) with 18 runs, four doubles, five triples, three home runs, 24 RBI and six stolen bases. He leads the Monks in triples, RBI, total bases (53), slugging percentage (.639), sac hits (5) and stolen bases through 30 contests.
Lops leads the Monks in batting average (.430, 34-79) and OBP (.464) and has tallied 14 runs, four doubles, a triple and 19 RBI this spring. He also paces the team in multi-hit games (12) and is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.
Saint Joseph's (27-3, 10-0 GNAC) will play at Norwich University in a GNAC doubleheader starting at 2:00 PM on Wednesday.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
