ROCK HILL, S.C. – Courtesy of a South Atlantic Conference record 10 runs batted in on Friday Ryan Addington was named the league's Player of the Week Tuesday morning. The senior also picked up the Tennessee Sportswriter's Association weekly award on Valentine's Day.
On Friday in an 18-3 win over Virginia-Wise, the Cincinnati, Ohio native went 5-for-6 with grand slams in the 3rd and 4th inning tallying 14 total bases and four runs scored while breaking the SAC record with 10 RBIs. That tally ranks as the ninth-most in a single game in Division II history and most since Michael Moras had 12 for New Haven against Assumption on April 23, 2007. The outfielder passed the league record of nine set three times most recently by Derek Treece for Lincoln Memorial on March 21, 2008 versus Kennesaw State.
Addington became the 15th player in the history of Division II and first in South Atlantic Conference history to hit two grand slams in one day. The last person to do so was Pat Trettel of Seton against Pitt-Johnstown on March 20, 2010.
The 10-RBI day is the most runs batted in at the Division II ranks since March 15, 2014 when Tim Hughes of West Liberty tallied 11 against West Virginia State.
While Friday was a massive day by any standards, the senior posted a .778 batting average going 14-for-18 at the plate with a pair of home runs, 13 RBIs, 11 runs scored and two stolen bases in four wins for Carson-Newman during the week of Feb. 6-12.
"I was just seeing the ball well," Addington said. "Some weeks it will look like a beach ball and some weeks I can't buy a hit. Last week it looked like a beach ball. This week is a new week. I'm 0-for-0 and I haven't had an at-bat yet. You just have to clear your mind and just get ready for what's ahead."
The honors are the first in Addington's career with the last Eagle to get the plaudits being Brandon Roberts who picked up both certificates on March 1, 2016.
The center fielder is off to a hot start through seven games having reached base safely 21 times in 34 plate appearances. He has five multi-hit games, two two-hit efforts and one game with three, four or five hits. Dating back to the end of his junior season, Addington is sporting a 12-game hitting streak where he has gone 26-for-47 with 10 multi-hit games, three long balls, 17 RBIs, 25 runs scored and five stolen bases.
On the young year, the Buckeye State native leads the conference with a .600 batting average, 18 hits, 32 total bases, a 1.067 slugging percentage and three roundtrippers while his 14 RBIs are good for second and his 14 runs scored ranks third.
The Eagles are in action this afternoon against 19th-ranked Belmont Abbey in the Tar Heel State. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The Eagle Sports Network is on site for the broadcast beginning at 2:15 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to First Pitch" on cneagles.com/live.
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