NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 26, 2018—North Carolina Central senior Andrew Valichka was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Player of the Week, the conference office announced today. Bethune-Cookman’s Giovany Lorenzo and Norfolk State’s Aaron Robinson earned Co-Rookie of the Week honors, while Bethune-Cookman sophomore Anthony Maldonado was named Pitcher of the Week.
 
Valichka (6-0, 195, Sr., Pedricktown, N.J.) hit .583 in a three-game sweep of NJIT in non-conference action this past weekend, racking up seven hits in 12 at-bats – including four extra-base hits. He drove in six runs and scored four times in the series, and Valichka had a home run in the first and third games of the set. For the weekend, Valichka – who slugged 1.250 – had two doubles and two home runs, while also swiping two bases and going error-free at third base.
 
Lorenzo (5-9, 195, Fr., Fort Myers, Fla.) hit .333 (7-for-21) for the week, including a 2-for-4 effort with three RBIs in a series-opening win over Milwaukee on Friday. In five games this past week, Lorenzo had seven RBIs and scored twice. He recorded at least one hit in each game.
 
Robinson (5-11, 200, Fr., North Chesterfield, Va.) hit .556 (5-for-9) in three games this past weekend, going 2-for-4 each in contests against Iona and Stony Brook to record the first two multi-hit games of his collegiate career. He slugged .889 for the weekend, hitting a double against Iona and a triple against Stony Brook.
 
Maldonado (6-4, 190, So., West Palm Beach, Fla.) picked up his first win of the 2018 season on Saturday after throwing 5.1 shutout innings, giving up just two hits and striking out eight (with no walks) in the Wildcats’ 6-0 win over Milwaukee.
 
Other Top Performers
Joseph Fernando (B-CU) had three multi-hit games this past week, hitting a home run in the series finale against Milwaukee.
 
Marcos Castillo (CSU) had a pair of two-hit games – one against Mount St. Mary’s and another against Wagner.
 
Quinn Gleed (CSU) gave up just two hits and one run in six innings against Wagner.
 
Chandellor Benton (FAMU) had a 2.16 ERA in two relief appearances, striking out 12 in a combined 8.1 innings of work.
 
John Capra (FAMU) went 5-for-6 in a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State with six RBIs and eight runs scored.
 
Joey Nicastro (MDES) had a pair of two-hit games in a three-game set against Winthrop.
 
Marty Tolson, Jr. (MDES) struck out four and gave up one run in 4.1 innings pitched against Winthrop.
 
Avery Tunnell (MDES) hit a two-run triple in the series finale against Winthrop.
 
Michael Johnson (NCAT) struck out seven in 7.0 innings of four-hit ball against Lehigh.
 
Milton Rivera (NCAT) went a combined 6-for-12 in three games against Lehigh, driving in a run and scoring three times.
 
Justin Williams (NCAT) hit a home run in the series opener against Lehigh and drove in four runs for the week.
 
Jake McCort (NCCU) struck out seven in 6.0 innings of one-run ball against NJIT.