After registering a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven shutout innings over No. 12 Stanford, Rice true freshman RHP
Matt Canterino has been named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week. The C-USA Hitter of the Week honor is shared by Florida Atlantic freshman OF
Gary Mattis (three homers, 12 RBI and eight runs scored) and UAB sophomore OF
Brewer Hicklen (.600 batting average with four extra-base hits and eight runs scored).
March 13 POW Release
Canterino was sensational for the second time in as many weeks, firing 7.0 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against No. 12 ranked Stanford on Friday night (March 10). Canterino allowed just two singles and one walk while working a career-long 7.0 innings. He held the heavy-hitting Cardinal to a composite .087 average as the Owls went on to post a 4-0 victory.
Mattis starred for the Owls in a 4-1 week, beginning with Tuesday’s eight-RBI performance at Bethune-Cookman. In that game, the freshman was 4-for-5 with a single, double, a two-run home run and a grand slam, finishing just one RBI shy of the FAU all-time program game record and two shy of the conference mark. Two games later, against Toledo, he added another two-run shot, as part of a three-RBI win. For the week, he batted .412 (7-for-17), scored at least one run in each game for eight total, and had three homers and 12 RBI. During the week, Mattis was 5-for-10 with runners on, 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and 3-for-3 with a runner at third and less than two outs. He was on-base at a clip of .565 and held a slugging percentage of 1.000.
Hicklen batted .600 (12-for-20) during the Blazers 5-0 week, scoring eight runs including both game-winners against Louisiana-Monroe on Sunday. He hit a single in the 8th inning in game one versus ULM and came around to score the winner before hitting a triple in the 10th inning of the second game to score on the next batter. Hicklen added one double, two triples, and hit the first home run for UAB this season. He was also successful on four of five stolen base opportunities and had 20 total bases on the week.
2017 WINNERS:
Hitter of the Week – Feb. 20 –Jackson Mims, 3B, Charlotte; Feb. 27 – T.J. Nichting, OF, Charlotte and Kevin Markham, OF, UTSA; Mar. 6 – Chase Lunceford, 3B, Louisiana Tech; Mar. 13 – Gary Mattis, OF, Florida Atlantic and Brewer Hicklen, OF, UAB.
Pitcher of the Week – Feb. 20 – Garrett Whitlock, RHP, UAB; Feb. 27 – Nate Harris, RHP, Louisiana Tech; Mar. 6 – Nick McDonald, RHP, FIU; Mar. 13 – Matt Canterino, RHP, Rice.