CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – NC State infielder Garrett Pennington was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week, while Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns earned Pitcher of the Week honors.
The ACC Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week are selected by a 17-member voting panel composed of media members and announced on Mondays during the regular season.
Pennington set the tone as NC State secured its third series win over a top-10 opponent this season, taking two of three games at No. 10 Virginia over the weekend. Pennington went 11-for-17 (.647) with 11 runs scored, 10 RBI, three homers and four multi-hit games as the Wolfpack recorded a 3-1 week. Pennington posted a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored, three RBI and a double against Norfolk State, before delivering three straight three-hit outings against the Cavaliers, opening the series with a 3-for-5 showing with a double and a home run. Pennington’s two-run homer in the top of the eighth proved to be the game-winning runs for the Pack in the 7-5 win. The Lenexa, Kansas native then homered for the second straight game in Saturday’s contest, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBI and a home run in the series-clinching win on Sunday. Pennington’s towering two-run shot marked his third homer in three days. He now leads the Wolfpack with 55 runs scored and sits second with54 RBI following his standout week.
Burns becomes just the fourth player in ACC history to win Pitcher of the Week five times in a season and the first to do so since Florida State’s Tyler Holton in 2017. The right-hander became the Demon Deacons' single-season strikeout record holder with 156 punchouts on Friday night. Burns fanned a career-high 16 hitters against No. 2 Clemson, marking the 10th time in 13 starts this season he has struck out at least 10 batters and the second time he finished with at least 15 punch outs. He improved to 10-1 as a Demon Deacon, ranking third nationally in wins.
The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native allowed just one run on two hits over 7.0 innings and only gave up one free pass. The outing also marked his ninth quality start of his junior season. His 16 strikeouts in a single outing rank second in Wake Forest history behind only Erik Hanson (18) on April 17, 1985. Additionally, Burns now holds seven of the top 10 single-game strikeout performances in Wake Forest history and the outing also marked his ninth quality start of his junior season.
ACC Baseball Player of the Week
Feb. 19 – Payton Green, SS, Georgia Tech
Feb. 26 – Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
Mar. 4 – Alec Makarewicz, INF, NC State
Mar. 11 – Blake Cyr, INF, Miami
Mar. 18 – Carson DeMartini, INF, Virginia Tech
Mar. 25 – Blake Wright, INF, Clemson
Apr. 1 – Parks Harber, INF, North Carolina
Apr. 8 – Nick Kurtz, INF, Wake Forest
Apr. 15 – Nick Kurtz, INF, Wake Forest
Apr. 22 – Matthew Ellis, C, Georgia Tech
Apr. 29 – Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
May 6 – Blake Wright, INF, Clemson
May 13 – Garrett Pennington, NC State
ACC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 19 – Cam Leiter, RHP, Florida State
Feb. 26 – Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Mar. 4 – Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke
Mar. 11 – Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Mar. 18 – Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Mar. 25 – Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Apr. 1 – Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami
Apr. 8 – Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson; Sebastian Gongora, LHP, Louisville
Apr. 15 – Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson
Apr. 22 – Charlie Beilenson, RHP, Duke
Apr. 29 – Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina
May 6 – Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
May 13 – Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest