SXU's Vargas, USF's Dant Collect Baseball Weekly Awards

CHICAGO --- A one-hitter tossed by Saint Xavier University's Julian Vargas (Tinley Park, Ill.) and 15 hits in only six games delivered by University of St. Francis' Drew Dant (Highland, Ill.) have garnered the pair Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher and Player of the Week honors, respectively, for the seven-day period ending March 31, the league office announced on Tuesday.

Vargas' strong performance came on Friday in a 9-5 victory over Calumet College of St. Joseph.  The senior went the first seven innings, striking out ten batters in the process, while walking three and allowing just the one hit.

Saint Xavier went 3-3 on the week, giving it a 16-15 overall record.  The Cougars sit just one game out of first place in the league standings at 9-5.

Dant was a hitting machine, going 15-for-23 (.652) with 12 runs scored and another 12 driven in over his six games played last week.  Better than half of his hits went for extra bases with his five doubles and three home runs netting a 1.261 slugging percentage.

The graduate student third baseman drove in all 12 of his runs in a two-game sweep of Saint Xavier last Tuesday, where the Saints put up 51 runs in the doubleheader.  Dant went 7-for-11 with three home runs on the day, including a three-run shot and a grand slam, while also scoring six times.  Included was a 4-for-6, two-home run, seven-RBI second game.

Dant followed that up with an 8-for-12 series at the plate against Roosevelt on Friday and Saturday.  The highlight of the four-game set was his 4-for-4, two-double, four-run Game 2 on Friday in a 16-6 victory.

USF's 4-2 week enabled the Saints to maintain a one-game lead in the conference standings at 10-4.  Overall, the Fighting Saints are 12-14.

Other Player Nominees: Jack Dupuis (Olivet Nazarene), Bryce Vincent (St. Ambrose), James Berry (Roosevelt), Anthony Cappelletti (Trinity Christian), Konner Hutchings (Saint Xavier), Anthony Pohl (Indiana South Bend).

Other Pitcher Nominees: Ryan Daly (St. Francis), Jacob Hutcherson (Trinity Christian), Jack Kienzle (Indiana South Bend), Brad Niedzwiedz (St. Ambrose), Jordan Rhoden (Olivet Nazarene).