Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
Holton Claims Second BIG EAST Player of the Week, Sakowski Earns Honor Roll
4/2/2019 9:35:00 AM | Baseball
New York, N.Y. -- Creighton junior Jake Holton capped the Bluejays' weekend sweep of Illinois State by earning the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Tuesday, April 2. In four contests at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha last week, Holton reached the seats in each game versus the Redbirds. Holton went 7-for-17 (.412) for the week with 10 RBI on three home runs, two doubles for 18 total bases.
While Holton was holding court at the dish, Bluejay junior John Sakowski was equally impressive on the mound. The Omaha native tossed a career-high 3.2 innings against Creighton rival Nebraska on March 26th out of the bullpen, then returned to the bump on Sunday with three innings of scoreless ball against Illinois State to collect the win in the opening game of the doubleheader on Sunday.
Holton, Sakowski and the Bluejays face off with Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday, April 3, then battle Kansas State in a weekend series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
The entire BIG EAST weekly awards are below.
BIG EAST Player of the Week - Jake Holton, Creighton, Jr., DH/1B (Los Gatos, Calif.)
Creighton junior Jake Holton led the Bluejays to a 3-1 week, including a series sweep of Illinois State, who entered the weekend with a Warren Nolan RPI of 30. Holton went 7-for-17 (.412) for the week with 10 RBI on three home runs, two doubles for 18 total bases. Holton launched a home run in each of the Bluejays' victories over Illinois State. His slugging percentage for the week was 1.059. He also walked three times and crossed the plate four times. He went 2-for-5 in the midweek loss to Nebraska.
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BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week - Ryan Pepiot, Butler, Jr., RHP (Westfield, Ind.)
Butler junior righty Ryan Pepiot earned the win for the Bulldogs over Southern Illinois on Friday pitching 6.2 innings of a 5-4 victory. Pepiot held opposing batters to a .095 average against him, striking out 12, a season high. He allowed just two hits, one walk and two runs. The walk, which occurred at the top of the seventh was his first free base in 25 innings pitched.
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BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
John Sakowski, Creighton, Jr., RHP
Appeared in two games for the Bluejays, 6.2 innings of relief, 3.2 scoreless ball against Nebraska on Tuesday, followed by three innings for the win in CU's 11-inning battle with Illinois State on Sunday. Sakowksi struck out eight, allowed three hits and walked three.
Joe LaSorsa, St. John's, Jr., LHP
Threw 7.0 innings of four-hit work against Saint Louis in St. John's series-opening victory which included a career high eight batters struck out. He surrendered just one run, none earned. He has seen just one earned run come home in his last 26.2 innings.
Steve Grober, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
Grober batted .444 (8-for-18) in a 4-1 week for the Pirates. He belted his first career home run vs. NJIT on Tuesday, followed by a three-hit day with two RBI against Fairleigh Dickinson. During the weekend series vs. Iona, he went 4-for-11 with two doubles and a walk.
Chris Rotondo, Villanova, So., OF
Rotondo batted .625 (5-for-8) in a 1-1 week for Villanova. Had a career-high four hits against Bucknell and reached base twice against Penn. Rotondo scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Wildcats rallied to win in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic.
Jake Shepski, Xavier, Grad., OF
Shepski finished the week hitting .412 (7-for-17). Despite three 6-5 losses in the series against then-No. 13 Texas, Shepski had strong plate appearances with back-to-back three hit games against the Longhorns with five RBI and two runs.
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While Holton was holding court at the dish, Bluejay junior John Sakowski was equally impressive on the mound. The Omaha native tossed a career-high 3.2 innings against Creighton rival Nebraska on March 26th out of the bullpen, then returned to the bump on Sunday with three innings of scoreless ball against Illinois State to collect the win in the opening game of the doubleheader on Sunday.
Holton, Sakowski and the Bluejays face off with Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday, April 3, then battle Kansas State in a weekend series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
The entire BIG EAST weekly awards are below.
BIG EAST Player of the Week - Jake Holton, Creighton, Jr., DH/1B (Los Gatos, Calif.)
Creighton junior Jake Holton led the Bluejays to a 3-1 week, including a series sweep of Illinois State, who entered the weekend with a Warren Nolan RPI of 30. Holton went 7-for-17 (.412) for the week with 10 RBI on three home runs, two doubles for 18 total bases. Holton launched a home run in each of the Bluejays' victories over Illinois State. His slugging percentage for the week was 1.059. He also walked three times and crossed the plate four times. He went 2-for-5 in the midweek loss to Nebraska.
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BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week - Ryan Pepiot, Butler, Jr., RHP (Westfield, Ind.)
Butler junior righty Ryan Pepiot earned the win for the Bulldogs over Southern Illinois on Friday pitching 6.2 innings of a 5-4 victory. Pepiot held opposing batters to a .095 average against him, striking out 12, a season high. He allowed just two hits, one walk and two runs. The walk, which occurred at the top of the seventh was his first free base in 25 innings pitched.
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BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
John Sakowski, Creighton, Jr., RHP
Appeared in two games for the Bluejays, 6.2 innings of relief, 3.2 scoreless ball against Nebraska on Tuesday, followed by three innings for the win in CU's 11-inning battle with Illinois State on Sunday. Sakowksi struck out eight, allowed three hits and walked three.
Joe LaSorsa, St. John's, Jr., LHP
Threw 7.0 innings of four-hit work against Saint Louis in St. John's series-opening victory which included a career high eight batters struck out. He surrendered just one run, none earned. He has seen just one earned run come home in his last 26.2 innings.
Steve Grober, Seton Hall, Fr., SS
Grober batted .444 (8-for-18) in a 4-1 week for the Pirates. He belted his first career home run vs. NJIT on Tuesday, followed by a three-hit day with two RBI against Fairleigh Dickinson. During the weekend series vs. Iona, he went 4-for-11 with two doubles and a walk.
Chris Rotondo, Villanova, So., OF
Rotondo batted .625 (5-for-8) in a 1-1 week for Villanova. Had a career-high four hits against Bucknell and reached base twice against Penn. Rotondo scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Wildcats rallied to win in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic.
Jake Shepski, Xavier, Grad., OF
Shepski finished the week hitting .412 (7-for-17). Despite three 6-5 losses in the series against then-No. 13 Texas, Shepski had strong plate appearances with back-to-back three hit games against the Longhorns with five RBI and two runs.
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