Hey folks,
It's been far too long since last we visited in this space, so I'm bringing you a present. The good people at IUHoosiers.com let us know that Josh Phegley is the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week.
The release itself will be pasted in below, but let's face it, no one can say they didn't see this coming. After struggling as a freshman, Phegley has been tearing the conference apart this year. He's led the best offense in the Big Ten in several statistical categories, and he's already blown his 2007 numbers away.
So what do you think of Phegley? Is this award hollow when you consider the Hoosiers' pitching struggles of late? Or do you think the hitting can pick up the team while the staff rights itself for the Big Ten stretch run? Enjoy the release, and sound off below.
PHEGLEY EARNS WEEKLY HONOR FROM BIG TENBLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana catcher Josh Phegley has been named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday. The sophomore went 9-for-15 with two home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored. Phegley, who shares the honor with Michigan's Zach Putnam, picked up his first honor from the conference and the first POW selection by a Hoosier since Andrew Means was honored on March 20, 2007.
Phegley added five walks and a hit by pitch on the weekend to post a .714 on-base percentage, and he also slugged at a 1.067 clip to give him a stellar 1.781 OPS (on-base plus slugging) on the weekend. So impressive was Phegley at the plate that he drew four intentional walks from Hawkeye pitchers in Saturday's doubleheader.
He started the weekend with his third five-hit game of the season on Friday, matching the school record for the third time this season. He followed with two home runs on doubleheader Saturday, including a seventh-inning grand slam - the first of his career - in the first contest. He also was robbed of one other longball on Saturday as Justin Brauer pulled a Phegley flyball back over the fence in game one. Phegley also stole a base in the series and added 10 assists from behind the plate.
On the weekend, Phegley was a workhorse behind the plate, catching 582 pitches on the weekend - 273 on Saturday alone - as he was behind the plate for all 172 Iowa batters in the series. He also walked three times against Miami on Wednesday to push his on-base percentage to .720 on the week and a team-leading .521 on the season.
The Terre Haute, Ind., native is among the conference leaders in batting average (second, .452), slugging percentage (third, .704), on-base percentage (second, .521), runs (fourth, 32) and RBI (first, 38). Additionally, he is one of just seven conference players with an OPS of over 1.000, as he currently clocks in at 1.225. Last Monday, he was ranked among the leaders in batting average in the nation, clocking in 17th in the country.
Earlier this year, Phegley posted a 5-for-5 performance in which he hit for the cycle against Valparaiso. He has also been a standout behind the plate, as the backstop has displayed one of the best arms in the Midwest, if not the nation. Opponents have attempted just 44 steals against Phegley, and he has retired 17 of them. His 61.4 stolen base percentage against is second in the conference among everyday catchers.
The Terre Haute native has a summer in the Cape Cod League partly to thank for his improvements at the plate. Last summer, he was named a Cape League All-Star for the Wareham Gatemen.
