ST. PAUL, Minn.-- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced their Athlete of the Week award winners Tuesday in the sports of baseball and softball. The awards are nominated by UMAC coaches and athletics communications staff and selected each week by the latter group.
Baseball Player of the Week
Bryan Gerbers, Jr, Crown, INF/OF
De Pere, Wis./De Pere
Gerbers went 6-11 (.545) in three games last week. His walk and hit by pitch brought his on base percentage to .615, and he posted a 1.091 slugging percentage. He homered, and doubled three times, tallying eight RBIs and two runs scored. On Wednesday against St. Olaf, Gerbers went 3-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Aidan Byrd, Jr, Bethany Lutheran
Peoria, Ariz.
Byrd pitched a complete game shutout against Northwestern in a 10-0 win. Byrd went all seven innings, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts and one walk against 25 batters. He lowered his ERA from 3.16 to 2.66, which is third-best in the UMAC.
Softball Player of the Week
Mykenzie Leccia, Sr, UW-Superior, OF
Somerset, Wis./Somerset
Leccia spearheaded the offense this weekend, going 8-11 with one run scored, five RBIs and a homer in Friday's game.
Softball Pitcher of the Week
Ireland Strubbe, Sr, Northwestern
Chandler, Arizona/Valley Christian
Strubbe continued her effective dominance in the circle for the Eagles this week. She started the week with a 7-inning no-hitter against Luther, delivering her second consecutive 10-strikeout performance. This weekend, against undefeated BLC, she threw 16 total strikeouts and allowed one run and only 4 hits through her two full appearances. On Friday, with her seventh strikeout, she became the all-time UNW Career Strikeout Record holder with 381. Strubbe is now second in the UMAC for strikeouts, just two behind first place with 32.2 fewer innings pitched. She is also second in ERA with 2.46.