WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - As the Monmouth University baseball team upped its current win streak to 11 games, and opened Northeast Conference play with a series sweep at Sacred Heart this weekend, three Hawks were honored by the league office, on Monday afternoon. Senior Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills) was named the Akadema/NEC Player of the Week, sophomore Ryan Buch (Yardley, Pa./Conwell Egan Catholic) was tabbed as the Akadema/NEC Pitcher of the Week, and freshman Nick Pulsonetti (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional - Old Tappan) earned the league's Akadema Rookie of the Week nod. The Blue and White, who went 6-0 this week, with wins over Princeton, Rutgers and Sacred Heart, are now 13-8 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Monmouth's veteran lead-off hitter was the centerpiece of an offensive explosion that yielded 63 runs over six games, all Monmouth victories. Higgins collected at least two hits in each of the six wins as part of his 15-of-28 (.536) week at the plate, which also included five walks. The senior, who connected on three doubles, drove in six runs and scored another 10 runs for the Hawks. The speedy short stop stole a base in all but one game, while totaling six swipes. With Monmouth and Rutgers tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Higgins walked, stole second, and eventually scored to put the Hawks ahead for good. Higgins came up big again in the series finale against Sacred Heart when he led off the top of the 11th with a single and came around to score the game-winning run of a 5-4 victory that completed a four-game sweep of the Pioneers and ran MU's win streak to 11.
Buch, the 2007 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, was practically untouchable in notching his third win this season and first career shutout, in Monmouth's 17-0 win at Sacred Heart on Sunday. Going the distance, Buch allowed just one hit and struck out a career-high 14 over seven innings. Carrying a no-hit bid into the sixth, Buch fanned the lead-off batter before allowing a first-pitch single. Now 3-1 this season, Buch has 12 career victories less than half-way through his second collegiate season.
Pulsonetti, last week's dual winner of Player and Rookie of the Week, claims his third NEC Rookie of the Week award in four weeks after a productive display at the plate during Monmouth's six-win week. The freshman outfielder hit .308 (8-of-26), including three doubles and a home run, walked three times, and tallied nine RBI to help the Hawks extend their win streak to a league-best 11 games. Pulsonetti came around to score each of his 11 times on base. His lone round-tripper on the week proved to be the difference in MU's 11-8 non-league win over Princeton. With the Hawks trailing 8-7 in the sixth frame and a runner on second, Pulsonetti deposited a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left centerfield for his team-leading fourth home run of the season.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow afternoon, when the Hawks travel to Princeton for a non-conference game with the Tigers. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m., as senior right-hander Brett Conner (0-0) is set to make his second start of the season for the Blue and White.
