SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Elon right fielder
Justin Hilt has been named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week while Western Carolina reliever Daniel Ottone has been chosen as the league’s Pitcher of the Week for all games from February 23 through March 1.
Hilt, a junior outfielder playing in his first year with the Phoenix, batted 7-for-12 (.583) on the week including a 6-for-8 effort in Elon’s doubleheader sweep of SoCon rival Appalachian State. Against the Mountaineers, Hilt recorded a double and two RBIs in game one and added his second home run of the year to go along with three RBIs in game two. The Woodbury, N.J., native also scored four runs as the Phoenix grabbed an early lead in the SoCon race.
On the year, Hilt his hitting .462 with seven runs scored, three doubles, a triple, two homers and eight RBI. He is also 2-for-3 in stolen base attempts.
Ottone, a right-handed junior from Cary, N.C., closed out both of Western Carolina's road victories over No. 24 USC in Los Angeles over the weekend, earning a save in Friday's 3-2 decision after striking out the side. He also finished off Western's 9-3 win in Sunday's series finale. Ottone recorded four strikeouts in the two innings of work, holding the No. 24 Trojans to one hit and a .143 batting average.
The SoCon’s weekly awards are voted on by the league’s baseball sports information directors.
Other hitters earning consideration for the award were Western Carolina’s Ross Heffley, Appalachian State’s Isaac Harrow, Georgia Southern’s Phillip Porter, Furman’s Marcus Rose, College of Charleston’s Mike Hentz, The Citadel’s Chris McGuiness, Wofford’s Konstantine Diamaduros, Davidson’s Chase FitzPatrick, UNC Greensboro’s Trevor Edwards and Samford’s Mason Meredith.
Other pitchers nominated were Georgia Southern’s Chris Mederos, The Citadel’s Drew Mahaffey, Wofford’s Scott Summers, Samford’s Andrew Jones, Appalachian State’s Andrew Webster, Elon’s
Thomas Girdwood and UNC Greensboro’s Daniel Smith.
