ROCHESTER, NY - After a massive week that saw the Pioneers rack up five wins in six games, the duo of
Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) and
Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) have both been named as Empire 8 Players of the Week.
Berger was given the Empire 8 Co-Player of the Week label after a raucous week at the plate. Berger was outstanding during a big week that saw the Pioneers go 5-1, nearly sweeping all six of their Empire 8 contests during that stretch. The Pioneer senior batted .476 across his six games played, logging 10 hits in 21 at-bats while also contributing seven RBIs, 10 runs scored, and slugging .952 as he hit three home runs. Berger was also disciplined, drawing four walks and stealing two bases during the five-win week. His efforts helped the team come from behind to snag the #4 seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Tournament.
Knabe was equally as impactful, being named the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week. Knabe had a legendary outing this past Monday against Elmira, not only becoming the Pioneers' all-time leader in career pitching wins, but also doing so on a seven-inning no-hitter as he kept the Soaring Eagles out of the H column during a 19-1 win. Knabe was otherworldly, tossing all seven innings and striking out six, while not allowing a single base knock throughout the entire game. The win was his 18th career victory, landing him alone at the top of the Pioneer record books.
Both players helped the team pick up a massive amount of momentum down the stretch. Thanks to their clutch play, the Pioneers jumped up into the #4 seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Tournament. The Pioneers will now head to Schenectady, New York, on Thursday, May 7th, where they'll battle the winner of Tuesday's play-in game between Keuka and SUNY Poly. Thursday morning's meeting serves as the Wild Card game, with the winner advancing to the double-elimination portion of the bracket, and the loser headed home. Thursday's matchup gets underway at 11:00 AM at Schenectady's Central Park "A" Diamond. You can check the Utica Baseball schedule page for more information!
