University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Doleac, Thomas Win C-USA Weekly Baseball Awards
3/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss has earned a sweep of the weekly Conference USA awards after the Golden Eagles opened conference play with a series victory over No. 20 Tulane. Sophomore RHP Geoffrey Thomas was named Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete-game, one-hitter against the Green Wave on Sunday. Senior 1B Adam Doleac batted .522 with five doubles and 10 RBI in five games last week to pick up Hitter of the Week honors.
Thomas tallied the first complete-game shutout of the season for the Golden Eagles on Sunday as he upped his season record to 5-1 and saw his earned run average fall to 1.33. He allowed just one hit to Tulane, a fourth-inning bunt single, as he faced just two batters over the minimum. Thomas retired the last 10 batters he faced and has retired 38-of-44 batters over his last two starts. He allowed just three batted balls out of the infield on Sunday during his second-straight complete game outing. Thomas tied his season-high for strikeouts with six as only one base runner got past first base.
Doleac was a big cog in the Golden Eagles' week that included a weekend series victory over the Green Wave. He finished the week with a .522 batting average (12-for-23) with five doubles and 10 RBI. Doleac drove home two runs with a double in a five-run fourth inning which helped Southern Miss defeat South Alabama on Wednesday and ended that game by tying his career-high for RBI with five. He added a two-run single in Friday's series-opening victory against Tulane. Doleac then registered a career-best five hits, including two doubles, in the middle game of the series before ending the weekend with two hits, including another double, in Sunday's shutout win against the Green Wave.
This is the second Hitter of the Week award this season for the school and first in his career for Doleac. It was also Thomas' first Pitcher of the Week award of his tenure and first for the school in 2011.
The Golden Eagles swept the award for the first time since May 1, 2006, when Toddric Johnson won co-hitter of the week honors and Cliff Russum garnered the pitching award.
Southern Miss, which is 18-5 on the season, play host to Ole Miss Wednesday night at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. Game time is set for 6 p.m. For tickets, please go online at SouthernMiss.com, or call the Southern Miss Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or visit the Pat Ferlise Athletic Ticket Center.
