By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Florida Gators sophomore shortstop Nolan Fontana is the first SEC Baseball Player of the Week for the 2011 season.
Fontana went 9-for-12 (.750) in a series sweep of USF at McKethan Stadium this past weekend. Fontana had a stretch of seven-consecutive hits (last four at bats on Friday and first three on Saturday), one shy of the school record held by Kurt Keene (5/8-5/11/1999), and he led Florida in batting average (.750), slugging percentage (.833), on-base percentage (.786), total bases (10) and runs scored (five). It is the first time that Fontana received Player of the Week honors; he was Freshman of the Week twice last season.
It is also the first time a UF player has been named player of the week in baseball since Cole Figueroa on May 19, 2008.