ST. LOUIS - Illinois State senior catcher Mike Hollenbeck has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the week, as announced by Valley officials Monday. Hollenbeck joins Paul DeJong and Logan Leverett as Redbird hitters to earn the award this spring. Dylan Craig was named Valley Pitcher of the Week March 10.
Hollenbeck batted .647/.727/.882 for Illinois State over four games last week. He added one double, one home run and eight RBI. The Joliet, Ill., product went 11-for-17, drew five walks and struck out only once.
"Mike had a great approach this weekend," head coach Mark Kingston said. "He has had a great senior season and this recognition is well deserved."
Hollenbeck started the week with a two-hit performance in Tuesday's game versus Purdue. He singled in the fourth inning and drove home a pair of runs with a seventh inning double. He reached base three times Friday at Western Illinois and smacked a career-best five hits, including his first home run of the season, in Saturday's 13-12 slug fest with the Leathernecks. Sunday, Hollenbeck reached base six times and drove home three runs to extend his active on-base streak to 11 consecutive plate appearances.
The fourth-year Redbird will make his 195th-career appearance in a Redbird uniform Friday night when Illinois State opens a pivotal three-game Valley series at Evansville. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
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