Ulaky’s Monster Week Lands Him a “Louisville Slugger’s” National Player of the Week Award
March 28, 2011
File Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
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• Full Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Release
TUCSON, Ariz. - - Senior first baseman Steve Ulaky tied an NCAA Division I record as well as University of Delaware baseball program records this week, earning him Collegiate Baseball Newspaper “Louisville Slugger’s” National Co-Player of the Week honors on Monday.
The senior from Silver Spring, Md. became the 19th player in Delaware history to hit three homeruns in one game, leading a come-from-behind charge over Delaware State on Tuesday, March 22. His two run homerun in the third inning gave the Hens a 3-0 lead, and his two-run homerun in the eight inning kick-started the Blue Hens comeback as they tallied nine runs in the top half. His third homerun of the game was a three-run shot, and gave the Hens the lead again at 12-9, capping off the eighth inning.
His two homeruns in the eighth inning tied him with a host of other NCAA Division I players in the record books. Some of the most recent occurrences happened earlier this season, as James Madison’s Jake Lowry, David Herbeck and Alex Foltz also completed the task.
Ulaky (above right) also became the third Blue Hen to hit two homeruns in one inning, joining Matt Schmidt and Andrew Salvo in the record books. Schmidt hit two against Maryland-Eastern Shore on April 29, 1993, while Salve matched the feat on March 26, 2000 against Princeton.
He hit his fourth homerun of the week in the first inning on Friday against William & Mary, making it three straight at-bats for the senior with a homerun. He deposited a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right center field, giving the Hens the 1-0 lead in the Colonial Athletic Association series opener.
For the week, Ulaky went 7-for-14 with four homeruns and two doubles, knocking in nine runs while scoring five times as well. He had a 1.500 slugging percentage over the four games, totaling 21 bases.
He is the first Blue Hen to be named a National Player of the Week since Bryan Hagerich who was also named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Co-Player of the Week on April 16, 2007.
Hagerich hit .615 (8-13) with four home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored when he won his Co-National Player of the Week award in 2007. He hit two home runs apiece in games against Delaware State and Rutgers; marking the third consecutive game he had hit multiple home runs. The three straight multi-homer games tied a school record set by Kevin Mench in March of 1998.
Ulaky is joined by Herbeck, JMU’s shortstop, UCLA’s right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, Canisius’s shortstop Sean Jamieson, North Carolina’s third baseman Colin Moran, and Kent State’s left handed pitcher Andrew Chafin as this week’s national award winners.
Delaware went 2-2 over the week, defeating Delaware State and William & Mary in game one, but fell to the Tribe in a doubleheader on Saturday.
Ulaky leads the Blue Hens into Tuesday matchup against Temple in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic at Bob Hannah Stadium. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
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