March 31, 2008

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell baseball sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) collected a pair of weekly awards on Monday as he was named both the Patriot League Player of the Week and the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week. The honors were the first career accolades for the designated hitter and marked the fourth time this season a member of the Orange and Blue was recognized by the Patriot League.

Playing in six of the team's seven games last week, Avanzino posted eye-popping numbers at the plate, going 15-for-25 for a .600 average and totaling 10 runs scored and 15 RBI. He recorded five home runs and four doubles, helping him to a 1.360 slugging percentage, while also walking four times and registering a .655 on base percentage. As a team, the Bison finished the week with a 6-1 record and 3-1 against Army in the opening weekend of Patriot League play.

In the second game of a midweek doubleheader against Clarion, Avanzino hit 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI along with three walks, helping Bucknell to a 19-1 win.

He followed up with a 5-for-6 performance versus Susquehanna with four RBI, three runs scored, two doubles and a walk in the 18-7 Bison victory.

To open the weekend series against the Black Knights, Avanzino was 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI. His first homer of the day capped off a seven-run fourth inning for the Orange and Blue after the squad had opened the contest with a 3-0 deficit and went on to take the game by the score of 10-5.

In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Army, Avanzino homered again as a part of a 3-for-6 performance and registered a double, a run scored and three RBI.

On Sunday, Avanzino made it three straight games with a home run, hitting one out in Bucknell's 8-5 victory over the Black Knights to tie the score at two. He finished 2-for-4 at the plate, adding a double along with two RBI and a run scored.

Avanzino closed out the weekend by tallying one of the team's seven hits in a 3-1 win over Army, extending his hitting streak to six games.

So far this season, Avanzino has appeared in 20 of the squad's 25 contests, starting 16, and currently leads the Patriot League in batting average (.433), RBI (26), on base percentage (.466) and slugging percentage (.896). He also ranks in the top ten for several other offensive categories as he is second in home runs (8), tied for fourth in doubles (7) and second in total bases (60). His eight homers rank him tied for seventh on the single season list in Bucknell's record book, as well.

The Bison, who are currently 13-10-2 on the year (3-1 PL), will next travel to Penn State this Wednesday, Apr. 2, and will take on the Nittany Lions at 6:35 p.m.