By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University right fielder Samuel Daly (So., El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) has been named Northwest Conference Baseball Position Player Student-Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after batting .714 in four games against Whitman University on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18. Daly received the award earlier this year on March 8 following a non-conference series with Linfield University.
The Bearcats won all four games in the NWC series against Whitman, earning 12-8 and 11-9 victories on Saturday before defeating the Blues 9-6 and 11-0 on the run rule in five innings on Sunday. The Bearcats collected 46 hits and scored 43 runs over the weekend, while belting 17 doubles, two triples, and six home runs. Willamette improved to 23-9 overall, 17-7 in the NWC.
Daly led the offensive surge with 10 hits in 14 at bats, while smacking four doubles, one triple, and two homers. He scored nine runs and recorded 12 RBIs. He achieved a 1.571 slugging percentage and a .688 on-base percentage. He contributed eight putouts in right field.
He produced at least two hits and two runs in each game during the weekend series. He blasted two home runs in the first game and pounded two doubles in the third game.
"Sam is a dangerous threat at the plate every at bat," said Willamette University Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick. "He had plenty of big swings last weekend, as he has throughout the season."
Daly has hit 11 home runs this year to go along with 12 doubles and three triples for a team-high 26 extra-base hits. He is batting .439 this spring (50 of 114) with 36 runs and 42 RBIs. He has accumulated 55 putouts in the outfield.
Willamette owns a .333 team batting average. The Bearcats, who led NCAA Division III with 49 homers entering the weekend, have now belted 55 home runs, with 74 doubles and five triples. WU players have earned RBIs on 255 of the team's 277 runs.
The Bearcats will play a Northwest Conference series at Linfield on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Friday at 12 p.m. (PDT) and will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday, also at 12 p.m.
