A weekend’s worth of national attention brought yet another accolade for the Caltech University baseball team.
Sophomore pitcher/outfielder Derek Kearney was named Wednesday afternoon the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Week.
Kearney became the first such Beavers baseball player to win the award since Ryan Elmquist received the same honor on March 2, 2011.
“Derek put together two solid games for us on Saturday,” said Beavers first-year Coach Matthew Mark via press release. “He is going to play a key role throughout the season and he certainly got off to a good start.”
Kearney batted four for seven in a double-header versus Pacifica University of San Dimas on Saturday, scoring two runs, while driving in two runs in what were his first-ever at-bats at the collegiate level.
The Beavers dropped the opening game of the twin bill at home, 5-0, despite six strong innings from Kearney, Caltech’s starting hurler, who tossed six innings, fanned two and allowed only two earned runs.
Despite the loss, the Beavers responded with a historic 9-7 victory in the second game in which Kearney was two for four, while scoring twice and knocking in two RBIs.
The victory snapped a 228-game losing streak for Beavers and gained national attention and notice from the New York Times to ESPN to National Public Radio.
Sophomore pitcher/outfielder Derek Kearney was named Wednesday afternoon the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Week.
Kearney became the first such Beavers baseball player to win the award since Ryan Elmquist received the same honor on March 2, 2011.
“Derek put together two solid games for us on Saturday,” said Beavers first-year Coach Matthew Mark via press release. “He is going to play a key role throughout the season and he certainly got off to a good start.”
Kearney batted four for seven in a double-header versus Pacifica University of San Dimas on Saturday, scoring two runs, while driving in two runs in what were his first-ever at-bats at the collegiate level.
The Beavers dropped the opening game of the twin bill at home, 5-0, despite six strong innings from Kearney, Caltech’s starting hurler, who tossed six innings, fanned two and allowed only two earned runs.
Despite the loss, the Beavers responded with a historic 9-7 victory in the second game in which Kearney was two for four, while scoring twice and knocking in two RBIs.
The victory snapped a 228-game losing streak for Beavers and gained national attention and notice from the New York Times to ESPN to National Public Radio.
