BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky University senior right fielder Ryan Hutchison has been recognized by the Sun Belt Conference as the SBC Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday.
The honor is the first in his career for Hutchison and the third of the season for a Hilltopper. Junior catcher Devin Kelly was named Player of the Week on April 23 and junior right-hander Taylor Haydel was named Pitcher of the Week on April 2.
Hutchison continues to be one of the Hilltoppers' hottest hitters over the last two weeks. In four games last week, he went 9-for-19 (.474) with a team-high eight RBIs and two home runs. He had multiple hits in each game, including a three-hit game in Sunday's weekend finale. In the first two games of the Louisiana-Monroe series, he had three RBIs in each contest with a home run and two intentional walks in Saturday's 7-6 win for WKU.
On the weekend, Hutchison was 7-for-14 with a team best six RBIs, a .667 slugging percentage and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. He is riding a seven-game hitting streak during which he is 16-for-31 (.516).
This marks the first time since 2009 that WKU players have earned this honor in back-to-back weeks. Former Hilltoppers Wade Gaynor and Chad Cregar earned the honored on March 2 and March 9, respectively.
The Hilltoppers close their current nine-game homestand on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. matchup against nationally-ranked Louisville at Bowling Green Ballpark. WKU then travels for a three-game league series at Florida Atlantic, May 4-6.
