Troy White
Following his spectacular weekend that led to the Huskies first-ever sweep of Miami (Ohio), Troy White was the named the Mid-American Conference’s West Division Player of the Week.
It is his first weekly honor of the season and the third of his career.
The Chicago native finished the weekend 7-for-16 at the plate (.438) with nine RBI, a double, a home run, three runs and three sacrifice flies in the Huskies three games versus the Redhawks and a midweek tilt against Illinois State.
White opened game one of the series with Miami 0-for-2 at the plate but managed to drive in three base runners on sacrifice flies, including the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, to lift NIU 8-7. Following a rain and lightning postponement Saturday afternoon, Northern Illinois was forced to play a doubleheader Sunday.
With the 65th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball occurring Sunday, White, a Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar, dazzled as he combined for for seven hits in 11 at-bats (.636), including six RBI, a home run and a double.
In game two of the doubleheader, White was 4-for-6 and drove in the game-winning run, again in the ninth inning, with a two RBI single.
The Northern Illinois baseball program had never swept a series with the Redhawks since they first met in 1968. It was also the Huskies first series sweep April 2-3, 2011, at Buffalo, also the last time NIU swept a doubleheader.
Including this week’s honor, Northern Illinois has procured three weekly honors from the MAC in 2012 as Taylor Nawrocki earned the Pitcher of the Week distinction March 20 and Alex Jones was selected April 2 as Player of the Week.
The Huskies will return to the field Friday, April 20, for a three-game MAC series with Toledo. First pitch is slated for 3:05 p.m.
For more information on NIU baseball and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
