Athletic Conference Player of the Week
BEREA, OHIO -- Three Baldwin-Wallace College fall sport student-athletes have been selected as an Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Week. They are sophomore football running back Brandon Hedges (Oregon/ Clay High School), freshman football punter Kevin Soflkiancs (Middleburg Heights/ Midpark H.S.) and senior volleyball middle hitter Laura Leach (Norwalk/ Senior H.S.).
Hedges is being honored for the second time this fall as the OAC Offensive Player of the Week. He earned his most recent effort by rushing for a career-high 192 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns in a 31-24 victory against Otterbein College on Homecoming in Berea last Saturday. Hedges effort included an 88-yard run which was the second best in Finnie Stadium history. He was also named the Frank Ropollo Homecoming Player of the Game. Hedges earned his first OAC Player of the Week accolade when he ran for a then career-high 158 yards in a season-opening win at Allegheny (Pa.) College.
For the season, Hedges leads the Yellow Jackets and the OAC in rushing with 735 yards in 112 attempts (6.6 yards per carry) with seven TD. He is also tied for the most receptions with 11 for 70 yards.
Soflkiancs is this week's OAC Special Teams Player of the Week. It is also the second time he has earned that honor this fall. Last Saturday against Otterbein, Soflkiancs set a Finnie Stadium and B-W single-game record with a 51.0 kick average. He had six punts for 306 yards, including a long punt of 58 yards with four punts landing inside the 20-yard line. Soflkiancs also earned the honor three weeks ago when he averaged 45.3 yards on six punts in a 31-3 win versus Ohio Northern University at Finnie.
For the season, Soflkiancs leads both the OAC and NCAA Division III with a 44.6-yard average on 27 punts with a long punt of 66 yards (versus ONU). He has had 13 of his 27 attempts land inside the opponents 20-yard line.
The eighth-ranked (AFCA poll) Yellow Jacket football team, 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the OAC, is back in action this Saturday, October 16 when it travels to Tiffin to play Heidelberg College in an OAC game at 1:30 p.m.
Leach, an All-OAC and Academic All-OAC middle hitter, earned OAC Volleyball Player of the Week honors as she led B-W to wins against Mt. Union College (3-0) and Wilmington College (3-0). In the two matches and six games, Leach tallied 29 kills (4.8 kpg.), 13 total blocks, including 11 solo blocks, eight digs and three service aces. Leach hit .384 for the week, including an amazing .652 in the win versus Wilmington.
For the season, Leach is hitting a team-leading .344 and tops the team in both kills (398) and blocks (60). She has also contributed 121 digs, 23 service aces and nine set assists.
The Yellow Jacket volleyball team, 16-7 overall and tied for first place in the OAC at 4-0, is back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 12, when it travels to University Heights to play OAC and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University at 7:00 p.m. With a win, B-W 10-year Head Coach Vicki Brault would win her 200th career match at the College. In addition, this Saturday, B-W hosts OAC rival Marietta College at the Ursprung Gymnasium at 1:00 p.m. At halftime, B-W will honor 2003 AVCA All-American Cassie Palmer '04 with her award.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact SID Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@ bw.edu.
275 Eastland Rd.