North Carolina State University Athletics
Mathews Powers His Way to National Honor
5/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2012
(UPDATED 5:24 P.M.) RALEIGH, N.C. - Ryan Mathews scored the final ACC Player of the Week award for the 2012 season, announced Monday by the conference office. Later Monday afternoon, Mathews also snagged Louisville Slugger's National Player of the Week honor, announced by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Mathews claimed responsibility for eight of the Wolfpack’s 14 runs in its three-game series at top-ranked Florida State, smashing four home runs over the week to climb to third on the ACC leaderboard at 14. Mathews also added another four games to the ACC’s longest active hitting streak -- currently 21-consecutive games and the longest such streak for the Pack this season.
The senior from Orlando, Fla., sparked NC State’s comeback win by blasting two home runs in a four-RBI effort during Thursday’s game against FSU. His second two-run homer of the weekend came Saturday, plating both of the Pack’s runs in a losing effort. Mathews is on a tear heading into this week’s ACC Championship in Greensboro, N.C., with six home runs in his last seven games.
The honor marks the first of Mathews career, and gives State five ACC weekly awards for the 2012 season. The Pack's two pitcher of the week and three player of the week awards combine for the most by any team in the conference, edging Clemson and North Carolina (four each).
Mathews shares his national player of the week recognition with pitchers Mark Appel of Stanford and Tyler Duffey of Rice.
