The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, native had a .600/.636/1.400 slash line for the week, helping the Hilltoppers go 3-0-1, pushing their overall mark to 14-11-1 and hold at second-place in the C-USA standings with a record of 7-1-1. It is WKU's best start in league action since beginning with an 8-1 record in the Sun Belt Conference in 2009.
In Tuesday's 12-9 victory at Eastern Kentucky, Sanford went 3-for-6 with three homeruns, eight runs batted in and four runs scored. He became the first WKU player to hit three homeruns in a game since Jordan Newton in 2006, and only the fourth C-USA hitter to do so since 2010. His eight runs batted in were the most by a Hilltopper since at least 2005 (when game-by-game records are available) and tied for the fifth-most in C-USA history.
Sanford continued his tear over the weekend, going 9-for-14 against the 49ers — including back-to-back four-hit games to cap the series — with two homeruns, seven runs batted in and four runs scored.
For the season, Sanford leads C-USA hitters in multiple offensive categories with 14 homeruns, 24 extra-base hits, 42 runs batted in, 33 runs scored, 93 total bases and an .886 slugging percentage to lead all C-USA hitters. In nine league games, He tops the charts with a .462 batting average six homeruns, 19 runs batted in, 14 runs scored, 38 total bases and a .974 slugging percentage.
Across Division I, his 14 homeruns rank second, 42 runs batted in are tied for fourth and 33 runs scored are tied for 16th, while his 93 total bases and .886 slugging percentage stand third overall.
The weekly award is presented by Top of the World. It is the eighth C-USA Hitter of the Week honor by a Hilltopper over the past five years, as Sanford becomes the second WKU player (Anderson Miller in 2015) to win it twice in the same season.
The previous two C-USA players to earn back-to-back Hitter of the Week awards were Houston's Matt Weston on April 10 and 17 of 2006 and Charlotte's Bo Robinson on March 30 and April 6 of 1998. The most recent C-USA pitcher to earn back-to-back weekly awards was UAB's Chase Mallard on Feb. 17 and 24 of 2014.
Topper Quotes
- "Our team has taken conference play to a new level of focus and performance this season. We proved that this weekend by excelling in all facets of the game, whether were ahead or trailing. My mentality and expectations for myself and this team are set on winning every pitch and focusing on the task in front of us." — Junior Jake Sanford.
- "The biggest thing about Jake is how he has remained confident in his ability and consistent in his approach. He just goes about his business and what you see is what you get. He's a down-to-earth person who is a tremendous student-athlete here at WKU and we're glad to have him." — Head coach John Pawlowski.
