Tuesday, April 19, 2005

HICKEY BATS HIS WAY TO NESCAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD

MEDFORD – The Tufts University Baseball team is on a roll, winning 12 of their last 13 games. That includes a 4-0 record last week, with a three-game sweep of New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East Division opponent Bowdoin College. The Jumbos lead the NESCAC East with a 5-0 record.

Leading the way offensively last week was senior DH/C Greg Hickey (Medway, MA/Medway), who was named NESCAC Player of the Week for powering the Jumbos through their unbeaten week. In the four games, he hit .588 (10 for 17) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight runs batted in and six runs scored. His 20 total bases produced a spectacular 1.176 slugging percentage. He also walked twice, helping to compile a .632 on-base percentage.

In a 9-4 non-conference win at Brandeis to open the week on April 12, Hickey went 3 for 5 with a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. On Friday in the three-game series opener against Bowdoin, Hickey set the tone for the weekend by leading a 10-2 victory with a 3 for 4 performance including a double, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Hickey's solo home run highlighted a two-run fifth and he doubled home another run in the sixth as the Jumbos surged to a 10-0 lead.

In Saturday's double-header against Bowdoin, 10-3 and 9-7 wins by the Jumbos, Hickey was a combined 4 for 8 with a double, a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. In game one, his two-run double in the sixth inning helped break open the game for Tufts after Bowdoin had closed to within 6-3. Tufts came back from a 7-1 deficit in the second game, with Hickey hitting a solo home run in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth to help the cause.

Hickey is currently hitting .411, ninth in NESCAC. He is fourth in the league with 50 total bases which have produced an impressive .685 slugging percentage. He leads Head Coach John Casey's Jumbos with 20 runs batted in.

Tufts is 15-6 overall and ranked sixth in New England Division III. Hickey is the team's second NESCAC Player of the Week recipient this season. Sophomore 1B Bryan McDavitt (Holden, MA/St. Peter-Marian) earned the honor on April 4.

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