April 13, 2009
NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State senior second baseman Mike Stalowy was named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week after leading the Redbirds to a series win over Missouri State with a pair of key late-inning at-bats, the conference office announced Monday.
Stalowy had plenty of hits as he batted .526 (10-for-19) in four games, but it was his timing that helped Illinois State hand Missouri State its first Valley loss and take the weekend series from the conference-leading team, 2-1. The Joliet, Ill., native hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to give Illinois State a 6-5 win in the series opener Saturday. The hit capped a career-best 5-for-5 performance.
In the series finale Sunday, Stalowy drew a walk in the bottom of the 10th with the Redbirds trailing by one and later scored the game-winning run on Anthony Ruffolo's walk-off single.
In all, Stalowy drove in eight runs and scored six while knocking two doubles, a triple and a home run, to guide the team to a 3-1 record last week. Stalowy was a perfect 2-for-2 on stolen bases and handled nine putouts and nine assists with no errors in the field.
Stalowy was batting .258 after Illinois State's first two Valley series but has raised his average to .343 - second amongst Redbirds -
with 17 hits in the last eight games. Stalowy hit his second home run of the season and of his career in a 12-11 win at Purdue Wednesday and leads the team with four triples.
Illinois State will travel to Northern Illinois Tuesday for a 3 p.m. game before welcoming Purdue for a 6 p.m. tilt Wednesday. Wednesday is Buck Night at Duffy Bass Field with admission and various items at the concession stand costing just $1. The Redbirds resume Valley play with a three-game series at Northern Iowa this weekend (April 17-19).
