April 29, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame junior 1B and All-American candidate Trey Mancini was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday, while junior closer and All-American candidate Dan Slania was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. The tandem helped the Fighting Irish to a 4-1 mark this past week, including a three-game sweep of Connecticut.
Mancini (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven) had an absurd week at the plate for Notre Dame. He batted .750 (15-for-20) with five runs scored, three doubles and five RBI. Mancini also added a walk and sacrifice fly. He registered a .900 slugging percentage and .727 on-base percentage. Mancini actually went hitless in his first two at bats last week before collecting base hits over his next 10 plate appearances. In all, he went 15 for his last 18 last week.
Mancini batted .750 (9-for-12) with three runs scored, one double and three RBI in the sweep of the Huskies. He had multiple hits in all five games and actually takes a multi-hit streak of six into tomorrow’s contest at Central Michigan. Mancini raised his batting average 55 points to .374.
Slania (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe) picked up a pair of saves in three scoreless relief appearances over 5.0 innings of work last week. He set a school record with his 26th career save in the victory against Michigan State. The right-handed hurler, who was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award midseason watch list earlier in the day, retired six of the eight Spartans he faced en route to his ninth save of the season. He surpassed Kyle Weiland’s (2006-08) previous school record of 25 career saves. He did yield a base hit and walk, but retired the final four batters of the game, including all three in the ninth on weak ground balls.
Slania added his 10th save (in 11 chances) of the season in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Connecticut. He tossed a perfect ninth inning to collect his 27th career save.
Slania lowered his season ERA to an unimaginable 0.26. He has allowed just one earned run in 34.0 innings of work in 2013.
— ND —