A-Sun Baseball

Jacob Robbins .
Courtesy KSUOwls.com

MACON, Ga. – Jacob Robbins helped Kennesaw State complete a perfect 5-0 week and Matt Branham threw a complete game against Gardner-Webb to earn the Atlantic Sun’s Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.

Robbins, a junior from Calhoun, Ga., reached base to start all five games during the week and scored all five times. Robbins went 9-for-18 with seven runs scored, seven walks, three RBI and four stolen bases. He hit safely in all five games on the week, starting with a 1-for-2 performance against Alabama State in which he scored a run and drove in another. After going 1-for-3 in Wednesday’s 7-6 win over Georgia Southern (the first win for an A-Sun school against the Eagles this season), Robbins went 7-for-12 against ETSU over the three game series. Robbins stole a pair of bases in each of the last two games of the series, giving him 50 for his career as he moved closer to setting a school record for swipes. The management major needs four stolen bases to pass Joe Parks (53 steals from 1995-96) atop the Owls’ record book. He registered an on-base percentage of .640 for the week.

The sophomore Branham pitched his first-career nine-inning complete game, allowing six hits and one run while striking out 10 to lead USC Upstate to a 2-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Gardner-Webb on Sunday. Previously, the Columbia, S.C. native had thrown eight innings three times in his career and recorded as many as seven strikeouts (against Tusculum on Feb. 14, 2007 in his second career start). After the sixth inning, no runner advanced beyond first. In his last two outings, Branham has allowed just one earned run in 17 innings pitched. In that span he owns 16 strikeouts against only two walks.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Kyle Bowley, UPST (Sr. – 3B/1B/DH – Apopka, Fla. – Criminal Justice) Hit .643 (9-for-14) with at least two hits in all four games; Scored winning run in 2-1 game vs GWU.

Casey Coleman, FGCU (Jr. – P – Cape Coral, Fla. – Business Management) Defeated No. 25 UCF (FGCU’s first win vs a ranked foe); In 8.0 IP, struck out season-high eight batters.

John Dortch, MER (Sr. – RF – Tallahassee, Fla. – Economics) Tallied a .478 batting average and .870 slugging pct. with nine RBI (six in 20-15 win vs Jacksonville).

Ryan Hamme, CAM (Jr. – 1B – Wilmington, N.C. – Business Administration) Hit .500 (6-12), knocked in eight RBI and launched two home runs, including a grand slam vs UNF.

Jason Peacock, FGCU (Sr. – 1B – Bartow, Fla. – Business Management) Hit .545 (12-for-22), increasing his average to .480; scored five runs and drove in six.

Kyle Tognazzini, LIP (Jr. – P – Paso Robles, Calif. – Oral Communications) In three appearances, did not allow a run in 7.2 IP and struck out 10; earned win at Stetson (5.0 IP, 7 K).