Two MCC baseball players picked for Region IX player of the week honors

Two McCook Community College baseball players have received this week's top Region IX players of the week awards.

On a week when MCC went 6-0 and won its 16 straight game, sophomore Owen Lester was named the Region IX pitcher of the week and outfielder Ethan Murdoch was named Region IX player of the week.

Lester, a 5-6 right-handed pitcher from St. Charles, Ill. went 2-0 for the week picking up a mid-week win against the Hastings JVs in which he worked two scoreless innings. Then on Sunday's series-finale against Otero Junior College he went six innings to pick up the win. After giving up two earned runs in the first two innings, he only faced on batter over the minimum over his final four innings, retiring nine straight hitters in the fourth through sixth innings. He allowed three hits in the game and struck out 13 and for the week allowed four hits in eight innings and struck out 13 hitters.

Lester, who is in his third year with the program, has appeared in nine games this season and is 3-2 with a 4.50 earned run average, striking out 31 hitters in 28 innings.

Murdoch, 6-2 sophomore outfielder from (Swift Current, Saskatchewan) smashed out 14 hits in 21 at bats last week, hitting .667 while scoring 14 runs. He collected four doubles, two home runs, walked four times and drove in 13 runs. Those totals included a seven-RBI game Sunday against Otero. This is the third time this season Murdoch received player of the week honors, winning the award Feb 1-12, batting .385 that week with six RBIs and six extra-base hits. He also won the award March 13-19 when he batted .414 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in four games.

Through the first 37 games of the season, Murdoch is batting .425 with 15 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 103 total bases, 43 RBIs, has a .526 on-base average and is slugging .811. He ranks in the top 20 of NJCAA Division 1 players in runs scored (46), doubles and total bases.