CRUSHERS KNOTTS WINS PLAYER OF THE WEEK, JACKALS BAKER WINS PITCHER OF THE WEEK.
AUGUST 14TH, 2023- This season's 14th player of the week award belongs to Scout Knotts of the Lake Erie Crushers.
The 6'6 outfielder, first baseman and former University of Maine Black Bear has only appeared in 15 games for the Crushers so far this season but has made the most of his chances already.
This week, Knotts posted a .688 batting average to go along with 11 hits, six runs, a .783 on base percentage and a 1.125 slugging percentage.
Knotts and the Crushers started the week by welcoming the Washington Wild Things to town for a midweek set.
After a day off Tuesday, Knotts returned to the lineup Wednesday batting third and playing first base. He collected two hits and a walk, and also scored a run as the Things took down the Crushers 12-4.
On Thursday, the Crushers returned the favor and took down Washington 5-1, Knotts added two more hits, two walks, an RBI and a run scored out of the DH spot.
Come Friday, the Crushers went on the road for a weekend set in Florence, Kentucky. Knotts continued his stat sheet stuffing ways, going 3 for 4 while also adding another walk, run scored and RBI as Lake Erie took game one.
On Saturday, Knotts went 3 for 4 again, this time with four RBI, three runs scored and another walk as the Crushers took game two.
On Sunday, Knotts and the Crushers went for the rare road sweep, but were thwarted by the Y'alls behind a solid start from Jake McMahill. Knots added another hit bringing his total for the week to 11.
The 14th pitcher of the week award goes to John Baker of the New Jersey Jackals.
Baker flirted with perfection deep into his start against the ValleyCats on Friday. He needed 87 pitches to get through seven innings of work. He only allowed two baserunners, both after the sixth inning. He also struck out eight ValleyCats hitters.
After Baker departed the game, the Jackal bullpen had decidedly more trouble getting ValleyCat hitters out then their starter did, allowing four runs to score in the eighth and three in the ninth. Luckily for the Jackals, they still managed to win the game 9-7, with Baker picking up his fifth win of the season.
Baker will likely make his next start at home Thursday against the Ottawa Titans, first pitch is scheduled for 6:35.
