Catawba’s Thomas, Tusculum’s Ruggles Named Baseball Players Of The Week

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Catawba College outfielder David Thomas and Tusculum College's starting pitcher Raymond Ruggles have been named the South Atlantic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, as announced by league officials on Monday.

Thomas batted .636 for the week as Catawba went 5-0 for the week. The junior had three or more hits in four games. He batted .625 (10-for-16) and scored six runs while driving in nine runs in the Indians' three-game sweep of conference foe Lincoln Memorial University. For the season, The Winston Salem, N.C. native is batting .384 with 44 runs scored and 33 RBIs.

Ruggles tossed a three-hit shutout as the 29th-ranked Pioneers defeated No. 16 Augusta State University 4-0. Ruggles was dominant from the outset, striking out three of the first six batters he faced. The junior collected six strikeouts in all and didn't walk a batter. He retired 16 of the last 17 batters, including seven straight to close out the game. The Jags only had two base runners advance as far as second base on the afternoon.

David Thomas

Raymond Ruggles

The SAC Player of the Week is determined by a vote of the sports information directors in the league.