GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced weekly baseball awards for the first time of the 2020 season. Davenport senior infielder Jacob Buchberger earned GLIAC Baseball Player of the Week honors, while Ashland senior Chance Hitchcock captured Pitcher of the Week accolades.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jacob Buchberger -- Davenport
Buchberger has not let up since being named GLIAC Player of the Year last season. He is off to a torrid pace at the plate in 2020 through seven games with a .483 batting average, four home runs and 20 RBI. This week, he totaled a .467 batting average, 1.133 slugging percentage, eight runs scored, three home runs and 12 RBI in a four-game sweep at Missouri S&T. His third home run of the season in Game 1 on Sunday was a grand slam that turned a 2-1 lead into a 6-1 lead. DU eventually went on to win 12-7. If his offensive performance wasn't enough, Buchberger also got the pitching win in Game 2 on Sunday in a 12-2 victory. He threw five innings and allowed one run with a walk and four strikeouts.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Chance Hitchcock - Ashland
Ashland University senior right-hander Chance Hitchcock was named the GLIAC Pitcher of the Week the league office announced on Monday (Feb. 24) afternoon. It is the third GLIAC Pitcher of the Week honor in Hitchcock's career after winning one each the last two seasons. He also won the league's first weekly award of 2019. Hitchcock tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings as the Eagles went on to blank Charleston (W.Va.) in the season opener on Saturday, 2-0. He struck out six and walked three while surrendering just four hits in the winning effort.
HONORABLE MENTION
PLAYER: Matt Magno (NU), Hayden Klssel (AU), Hunter DeLanoy (WSU), Spencer Nelson (GVSU), Austin Koin (SVSU)
PITCHER: Dalton O'Boyle (DU), Alan LaBov (NU), Dillon McInerney (WSU), Brandon Wise (SVSU),
