May 25, 2010
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF freshman shortstop Darnell Sweeney experienced a memorable series at the plate to end the 2010 season. And after already earning two prestigious weekly awards, the Miramar native picked up another Tuesday as Sweeney was selected as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Pro-Line Athletic National Hitter of the Week.
On Sunday, Sweeney received the Conference USA Hitter of the Week accolade before learning he was one of four Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball National Players of the Week on Monday. But the NCBWA Pro-Line Athletic National Hitter of the Week is handed out to just one player in the country, and this week it went to Sweeney.
This was the second time in as many years a Knight received all three honors. Shane Brown also was rewarded for his efforts when he reached base 18-straight times April 21-26, 2009, going 13-for-18 in four games.
This season, Sweeney guided UCF to its first series victory ever at Tulane. He went 11-for-13 at the dish for an .846 average, 1.385 slugging percentage, .800 on-base percentage and a 2.185 OPS. Sweeney delivered 10 RBI, eight runs, four doubles, a homer, one walk, a stolen base and did not strike out. Of the four outs he did make at the plate, two were on sacrifices and another was a RBI fielder's choice.
Opening the series May 20, Sweeney posted a 4-for-5 performance, falling a triple shy of hitting for the cycle while driving in five runs. In game two, the shortstop was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Then in the 17-6 seven-run victory in the finale, Sweeney was a perfect 5-for-5 with a double, two RBI, four runs and a SB. That enabled Sweeney to raise his batting average from .329 to a season-ending .358. That ranks as the highest batting average of all C-USA freshmen and among the top true freshmen in the entire country.
Pro-Line Athletic, owned by Badger Sport, supplies caps and uniforms to several D-1 college baseball teams and this is the sixth season Pro-Line has sponsored the NCBWA's Players of the Week. The sponsorship provides for plaques to be awarded to each of the weekly winners and other promotional consideration. Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport.
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