Indianapolis -- Youngstown State’s Jeremy Banks and Blake Aquadro have been named the Horizon League Baseball Players of the Week for the period of April 23-29, the conference office announced on Monday.
Banks earned Batter-of-the-Week accolades for the third time this season while Aquadro picked up Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for the first time in his career. Both players played a big part in YSU’s first-ever series sweep of UIC over the weekend.
Banks batted .636 with seven hits in 11 at bats in three games for YSU, reaching base at least twice in each game. He had three RBIs in YSU’s 11-3 win on Friday and added three more in YSU’s 9-0 win in the series finale. Banks was 4-for-4 in the finale and recorded his 200th career hit with an eighth-inning single. Despite missing 14 games with an injury, Banks ranks among the top five in the Horizon League in doubles and RBIs and is sixth in home runs. His .400 batting average, .657 slugging percentage and .492 on-base percentage are tops among all league players with more than 100 at bats.
Aquadro pitched the Penguins’ first nine-inning complete-game shutout since 2004 against UIC on Sunday. The junior southpaw scattered eight hits and struck out three while throwing 144 pitches. Only one of the Flames' hits went for extra bases.
Youngstown State will try to remain hot when it plays Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Eastwood Field.
