By: Matteen Zibanejadrad
KENNESAW, Ga. – Malik Spratling was named ASUN Player of the Week by the conference office on Monday afternoon.
Spratling is coming off one of the best performances any player has ever had in an Owl shirt. Deployed as designated hitter this weekend against Liberty, the Leesburg, Ga. native's Saturday is surely a day he'll never forget.
After the Owls' No. 3 was a part of the pre-game ceremonies for the Kennesaw State baseball team's Senior Day celebration, Spratling made Kennesaw State baseball history.
In three straight at-bats, the powerhouse hit a trifecta of home runs off of a trio of different Liberty pitchers. The hat trick of homers makes Spratling the first-ever Owl to hit three home runs in one game. In the weekend series against the Flames, he hit five-for-10 with six RBIs.
This is the first ASUN accolade in Spratling's career, but the two-way player has made an impact for the Owls before. His first home run for KSU was a solo shot, the second half of back-to-back bombs against No. 24 Georgia Tech to solidify a 5-1 win against the Yellow Jackets. The transfer from Georgia Highlands College has also shown his talents on the mound, sporting a 1.69 ERA and 10.1 strikeout-per-nine ratio in his time in Kennesaw.
In his two seasons in the black and gold, Spratling has 11 hits; with his tally of four home runs, roughly 36.4 percent of his hits are home runs.
Spratling and the Owls get back to work Tuesday at 3 p.m., as the Kennesaw State baseball team finishes up its regular season against Wofford in the Stillwell Stadium.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State baseball news, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
