NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Atlantic 10 Conference selected Saint Joseph’s senior Nate Thomas as the league’s first Baseball Player of the Week while senior teammate Mike Falco captured Pitcher of the Week honors. George Mason freshman Connor Dykstra rounded out the weekly recognitions with Rookie laurels. The awards were announced Tuesday following the conclusion of the opening weekend of contests played Feb. 18-20.
 
Thomas, a native of Hockessin, Del., proved instrumental over the weekend for the SJU, hitting .500 with three home runs and driving in eight as the Hawks won their opening series against Quinnipiac. In Friday's opener, the third baseman finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a grand slam as the Hawks powered past the Bobcats, 13-3. Thomas notched two more hits on Saturday, including a home run to break open the game late, as Saint Joseph’s outgunned Quinnipiac by a 15-8 margin. Finally, the senior reached base in all five of his plate appearances Sunday after being hit by a pitch twice, walking twice and jacking his third home run in as many days.
 
Hailing from East Brunswick, N.J., Falco tossed four stellar innings as the first man out of the pen in Friday’s series opener, surrendering just one hit with no runs while striking out nine in the Hawks' 13-3 victory over Quinnipiac. The senior right-hander entered the contest with just a two-run advantage and managed to keep the Bobcats off the scoreboard while recording a majority of his outs via strikeout.
 
Dykstra composed an elite effort across a three-game series against Wofford, closing out the weekend with a .500 batting average on five hits and a pair of home runs while registering five RBI and scoring six runs himself. The Chilliwack, British Columbia, product proved particularly effective in the series finale, rounding the bases on all five at-bats following a 3-of-3 performance at the plate and two hit-by-pitches.


PREVIOUS BASEBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
 

DATE	PLAYER	PITCHER	ROOKIE
Feb. 21	Nate Thomas, SJU	Mike Falco, SJU	Connor Dykstra, Mason