April 11, 2005
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Monday, April 11, 2005) - The Ohio Valley Conference announced Monday that senior shortstop Ernie Bracamonte was named OVC Baseball Player of the Week for his outstanding performance in five games against Saint Louis, Missouri, and Samford. The award is the first for the Chandler, AZ native.
Last week Bracamonte hit .524, amassing 11 hits in 21 en route to leading the Redhawks to three wins and two losses over the course of the week. One of his 11 hits was a dramatic three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning to beat the nationally ranked University of Missouri.
His week also included four extra base hits, including two doubles and two home runs, giving him a .905 slugging percentage. Bracamonte drew two walks giving him a .565 on-base percentage, and added a stolen base as well. He scored five runs and drove in six.
In Tuesday's 3-2 win in extra innings at Saint Louis University, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The best game of his career at Southeast came Wednesday against the 19th-ranked Missouri Tigers. In the 10-inning 8-5 victory, Bracamonte went 4-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored with a double and two homers. The second home run plated the winning runs of the game in the bottom of the tenth inning.
Bracamonte continued his hot hitting in the weekend series versus Samford. In three games, he went 5-for-11 with two runs scored.
In addition to his outstanding performance at the plate, Bracamonte was awarded for his flawless defensive play at shortstop. He recorded eight putouts and 13 assists in 21 chances for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
With a hit in each of the five games, Bracamonte extended his personal season-high hitting streak to 12 games. He had four multi-hit games, giving him 10 multi hit games on the season. On the season, he is now batting .339 with eight doubles, three home runs, 20 runs scored, and 16 RBIs.
Bracamonte will try to lead the Redhawks to a second win over the University of Missouri in Columbia On Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
