Stavisky earns national honors
Special to The Observer
Notre Dame sophomore rightfielder Brian Stavisky lived up to his preseason billing as a first team All-American and Big East player of the year, earning national player-of-the-week honors after batting .692 (9-for-13) and reaching base on 10 consecutive plate appearances at last week's National Bank of Commerce Classic.
Stavisky was recognized by Collegiate Baseball magazine as the national player of the week while the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association tabbed Stavisky as its national "hitter of the week." The 6-3, 220-pound lefthander also earned the first Big East player-of-the-week award for the 2001 season.
Stavisky's rare 10 consecutive times on base included hits in his final two at-bats versus New Orleans on Feb. 17 and a 3-for-3 effort (with two walks) later that day versus host Mississippi State. In the final game of the NBC Classic, he then collected hits in his first three ABs versus MSU-yielding 10 straight times on base.
A strikeout to open the eighth inning halted Stavisky's streak (he had hits in eight of his first 10 ABs overall) and his final at-bat was a hard-hit lineout to center field in the 11th inning of that 4-2 win.
In addition to the nine hits, Stavisky's weekend production from the cleanup spot included three walks, three RBI, three runs scored, two triples, two doubles, 15 total bases, a stolen base and two strikeouts.
His nine hits included a sixth-inning RBI triple in Sunday's game, plating Alec Porzel with the day's first run. In the first win over MSU, Stavisky doubled in the fifth inning and scored for a 6-5 lead (the Irish went on to win 7-5).
Stavisky's 10 straight times on base included a wide variety of at-bats, with three first-pitch hits (one RBI double, one RBI triple), four hits with two strikes (one RBI triple), two leadoff hits and a two-out RBI double.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, February 21, 2001
