TUCSON, Ariz. — Senior Ryan Hutson has earned Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors after hitting five round-trippers in a four-game week and becoming UTSA's all-time home run leader, Collegiate Baseball announced on Monday.
Hutson, who also was named Southland Conference Hitter of the Week on Sunday, becomes the fifth national honoree in the program's 20-year history and first since Trent Lockwood earned the laurels on April 18, 2008.
The first baseman helped the Roadrunners to a 3-1 mark last week, including earning the program's first-ever season sweep of Houston and taking two of three contests against Central Arkansas.
The Round Rock native was 9-for-17 (.438) with a double, five home runs and eight RBIs. He also accumulated 23 total bases, which translated to a 1.438 slugging percentage. Hutson surpassed Jeff Juarez's 12-year old mark of 47 home runs, which was set from 1996-99, after belting three round-trippers in Saturday's regular season finale against Central Arkansas. His record-breaking 48th homer came on his final swing at Roadrunner Field. Hutson also became the fourth player in the program's 20-year history to hit three home runs in a game and first since Jose Hernandez accomplished the feat on March 6, 2009.
Hutson is hitting .342 with 11 doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 35 RBIs this spring.
UTSA (26-30) will be the No. 6 seed at this week's Southland Conference Tournament in San Marcos. The Roadrunners will play the first game of the four-day event at 9 a.m. on Wednesday against third-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (34-22). The Birds swept the Islanders from April 1-3 at Roadrunner Field earlier this season and have won five of the last six meetings between the two programs.
