HAMMOND, La. – Louisiana-Lafayette outfielder Dylan Butler and LSU pitcher Aaron Nola were each named on Monday as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Baseball Players of the Week following their respective performances last weekend.
Butler, a sophomore from Belle Chasse, was named the LSWA Hitter of the Week after posting a .545 average at the plate and helping the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 4-1 week. The former Archbishop Shaw product went 12-for-22 overall with a double, two triples, three home runs and seven RBI.
In ULL’s final two games of its Sun Belt Conference series against Florida International, Butler went 4-for-8 with three home runs and six RBI, helping the Cajuns to their first series win over FIU since 2007. He fueled a six-run, third-inning on Saturday with a two-run home run before belting a pair of homers in the series finale. Butler went a combined 6-for-9 at the plate in midweek games against in-state rivals McNeese State and Southeastern Louisiana and extended his hitting streak to a season-best six games.
Nola, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, recorded his third straight complete-game victory on Friday, helping the Tigers defeat No. 10 South Carolina in Alex Box Stadium. The former Catholic High product, who earned LSWA Pitcher of the Week honors for the third time this season, limited the Gamecocks to two runs on six hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
He became the first LSU pitcher to post three consecutive complete-game wins since Greg Smith accomplished the feat in 2005 against Ole Miss, Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Nola improved to 8-0 on the season with a 2.14 earned run average while leading the SEC with 90 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched.
Weekly Winners
March 4
Hitter – Mark Riendeau, Louisiana College
Pitcher – Jordan Hymel, Southeastern Louisiana
March 11
Hitter – Mason Katz, LSU
Pitcher – Ian Gibaut, Tulane
March 18
Hitter – Mason Katz, LSU
Pitcher – Ryan Eades, LSU
March 25
Hitter – Alex Bregman, LSU
Co-Pitcher – Ian Gibaut, Tulane; Blake Ware, McNeese State
April 1
Hitter – Mason Katz, LSU
Pitcher – Aaron Nola, LSU
April 8
Hitter – JaCoby Jones, LSU
Pitcher – Robert Baker, Northwestern State
April 15
Hitter – Brandon Cooksey, LSU-Shreveport
Pitcher – Austin Robichaux, Louisiana-Lafayette
April 22
Hitter – Keith Cormier, Nicholls State
Pitcher – Aaron Nola, LSU
April 29
Hitter – Dylan Butler, Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher – Aaron Nola, LSU