PSAC Baseball Athletes of the Week - 6
Another no-hitter in the PSAC was thrown last week and that led to Mercyhurst’s STEVE GRIFE being named this week’s PSAC West Pitcher of the Week after he no-hit Lake Erie for his first career no-no. California (Pa.)’s MIKE SCHMIDT helped lead the Vulcans to a 7-0 week with a big week at the plate and for his efforts is named this week’s PSAC West Player of the Week. In the Eastern Division, MATT COTELLESE is the Player of the Week after leading West Chester to a series win over Kutztown and into first place in the division. CHRIS ZELKO of Mansfield is the Pitcher of the Week.
PSAC East Player of the Week
Matt Cotellese, West Chester
Senior, OF
Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown
Cotellese’s bat served at the catalyst for No. 18 West Chester taking three out of four games from No. 14 Kutztown as the Golden Rams vaulted ahead of the Golden Bears and into first place in the PSAC East. Cotellese hit .545 (12-for-22) and slugged at an .818 clip, banging out three doubles and a home run in addition to scoring eight runs. He had just two RBI but one of those was his RBI single that produced the eventual game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning in Sunday’s first game that gave the Golden Rams an extra-inning 6-5 victory and a guarantee of at least a series split. He later hit a solo home run in the second game of the Sunday twinbill, helping the Rams to the series win. He also recorded a defensive assist from the outfield over the weekend. Overall, the Golden Rams went 4-1 on the week.
PSAC East Pitcher of the Week
Chris Zelko, Mansfield
Sophomore, RHP
Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads
Zelko allowed just one hit and one earned run in six innings against Bloomsburg on Sunday to pick up the win and lead the Mountaineers to a doubleheader sweep of the Huskies. Zelko allowed three runs total but just the one earned to improved to 3-3 on the season with his performance in which he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He retired the first nine hitters of the game and did not allow a hit until there was one out in the sixth. He walked two and struck out three.
PSAC West Player of the Week
Mike Schmidt, California (Pa.)
Senior, IF
Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park
Schmidt helped lead California (Pa.) to a 7-0 week, including a four-game PSAC West series sweep of Gannon, by hitting .632 for the week (12-for-19) along with a .789 slugging percentage and a .704 on-base percentage. He scored six runs, knocked in eight and also drew two walks and was hit by a pitch five times to account for his high on-base percentage. In the series with Gannon, he hit .600 (6-for-10), including a 4-for-4 performance with an RBI in game three. He also scored a run and went 1-for-3 in the first game. In midweek non-conference action, he went 3-for-5 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in a twinbill sweep of Ohio Valley on Tuesday and then on Wednesday went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs in a win over Davis & Elkins. For good measures, he picked up the save, his fifth of the year, on the mound in the series finale win over Gannon. Overall, Cal is currently riding an eight-game winning streak that has the Vulcans alone in first place in the PSAC West.
PSAC West Pitcher of the Week
Steve Grife, Mercyhurst
Junior, RHP
Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Brookside
Grife threw a no-hitter in a 6-0 win for Mercyhurst over Lake Erie on Saturday to improve to 4-1 on the year. He struck out five, walked one, and allowed just four baserunners in tossing his first career no-no, as he also hit a batter and had two reach on errors in his seven-inning gem. His five punchouts gave him 161 for his Laker career, moving him into third place all-time at Mercyhurst. It also marked his fifth career shutout with the Lakers, which moved him into the top spot on the career list at Mercyhurst in that category.