Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

RICHMOND, Va. – University of Delaware senior slugger Bill Merkler has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week after leading the Blue Hens to a pair of wins last weekend.

In Delaware’s four-game set against Manhattan, Merkler hit three home runs, including two grand slams, and led a potent offensive attack that scored 42 runs and combined to hit .385 as a team.

During the series, Merkler led the squad with a .533 batting average after posting eight hits in 15 at bats. He also knocked in a team-high 11 runs and scored eight times over the weekend. His 1.133 slugging percentage also ranked as the highest on the squad.

Merkler opened the series with an impressive power display on Saturday, launching a pair of grand slams. In the first game of a doubleheader, he went 2-for-4 highlighted by a seventh-inning slam that broke a 10-10 tie and led the Hens to a 15-13 victory.

During the nightcap, he spotted Delaware an early 4-1 lead after posting his second grand slam of the day in the third inning. After the game was suspended and continued on Sunday, he notched his third long ball of the weekend with a two-run shot in the sixth to polish off an 11-5 victory.

After scoring a run in the first game of Sunday’s regularly-scheduled doubleheader, Merkler came back to record a 3-for-4 performance in the nightcap. Despite the team’s 11-7 setback in the contest, the native of South Plainfield, N.J. scored twice and knocked in a run.

During his senior season, Merkler has started all 11 games while splitting time behind the plate and in the outfield. Over that time, he has hit .333 with four home runs, 18 RBI, and 12 runs scored. He also ranks third on the team with a .622 slugging percentage.

Over his standout four-year career, Merkler is a .261 hitter with 24 home runs and 97 RBI. During his freshman campaign, the always-steady defender threw out 14 of 27 attempted bases stealers and set a new Delaware record for chances in a season without an error with 168.

Along with Merkler, the conference office selected Northeastern's Jeff Thomson as the CAA Pitcher of the Week, while UNC Wilmington ’s Steven Davis was honored as the top rookie.