A-Sun Baseball

MACON, Ga. – Stetson's Justin Bass hit a blistering .625 in leading the Hatters to a season-ending sweep of ETSU and Kyle Heckathorn of Kennesaw State struck out 13 batters in seven innings against Jacksonville as the duo earned the final Atlantic Sun Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week awards, the conference announced on Monday.

Bass, an outfielder who is originally from DeLand, Fla., led a Hatter offense that put up 40 runs in their three-game sweep of the Bucs. The senior sports management major stroked five doubles, ending the season with a league-high 27. Bass went 10-for-16 and scored four runs in the series, securing the top spots in the A-Sun in each category, with 94 hits and 61 runs scored. He also finished the regular season with the most total bases (156) and ended second in batting average (.414). In the field, Bass delivered a key assist off the wall in left, gunning down an ETSU runner to quell a Buccaneer rally.

With 13 strikeouts against the Dolphins, the sophomore Heckathorn not only tied an A-Sun season-high, but also set an NCAA Division I record at Kennesaw State for most strikeout in a game. The Ringgold, Ga. native allowed one run off five hits in his historic outing, as nine of the final 12 outs he recorded came via the strikeout.

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:

Nate Woods, BEL (Fr. - P - Business Administration - Cedar Rapids, Iowa) - Went six innings and struck out five in his fifth-straight victory.

Matt Crawford, MER (Sr. - OF - Business - Waycross, Ga.) - Hit .571 and slugged .786 while scoring four runs and stealing four bases. The leadoff man also had a triple and three RBI.

Matt Branham, UPST (So. - P - Undeclared - Columbia, S.C.) - Pitched a complete-game six-hitter against A-Sun regular-season champion Florida Gulf Coast, striking out eight and yielding one run.

Brandon Scott, CAM (Sr. - OF - Physical Education - Robersonville, N.C.) - Hit .500 with a double, a triple, two RBI and three stolen bases while slugging .875 in Campbell’s 2-1 weekend.

Justin Lilly, CAM (Sr. - P - Business Administration - Raleigh, N.C.) - Scattered six hits and gave up one run in a complete-game effort against Lipscomb, propelling the Camels into the A-Sun Championship.

Brandon McCall, BEL (Jr. - IF - Business Administration - Spring Hill, Tenn.) - Hit .632 with 12 hits and 13 total bases while scoring nine runs for the Bruins. He had a career-high four hits against Mercer on Friday.