TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Baseball catcher
Daniel Susac, fresh off a standout week that included two multi-home run performances, has been selected as the Pac-12 Player of the Week, the conference announced today.
Across four games, Susac posted a .556 (10-for-18) batting average with six runs scored, three doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI, an astounding 1.389 slugging percentage, and a .556 on-base percentage. His outstanding performances at the plate helped lead Arizona to a 3-1 record last week that included a pair of wins over No. 16 Oregon over the weekend.
This is the first Pac-12 Player of the Week honor of Susac's career, and the second Pac-12 weekly honor bestowed upon an Arizona player this year. First baseman
Branden Boissiere was previously tabbed as the conference's Player of the Week on March 2.
In addition to his conference honors, Susac was also picked as the
Perfect Game/Rawlings National Player of the Week.
Susac opened the week with a monumental performance at Loyola Marymount on Monday afternoon. As part of the Wildcats 18-2 victory at Page Stadium he went 4-for-5 with two runs, two home runs, and four RBI. It marked the first multi-HR game of his young career.
On Friday he smacked an RBI double in the eighth inning to provide some much-needed insurance in the Wildcats series-opening victory over then-No. 16 Oregon. He followed up with a two-run single as part of an offensive explosion in game two of the series on Saturday. The freshman from Roseville, California concluded his week on Sunday much in the same way he began it, going 4-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, two home runs, and three RBI in the series finale against the Ducks.
After completing his tear through the week, Susac ranked among the top 10 players in the Pac-12 in doubles (T-2nd, 9), extra-base hits (T-2nd, 14), RBI (T-3rd), home runs (T-6th, 5), total bases (7th, 49), and slugging percentage (9th, .613).
Offense isn't the only phase of the game in which Susac excelled last week, as he posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on 34 chances while starting all four games at catcher.
Susac and Arizona return to action this Thursday, April 1 in the first of three games against the in-state rival Arizona State Sun Devils. All three games at ASU this week will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
