INDIANAPOLIS – Buoyed by a 4-0 start to the spring, Ohio Dominican garnered Great Midwest Athletic Conference North Division Baseball Players of the Week honors for the second consecutive time.
 
After pounding Pikeville last weekend in a doubleheader sweep, Ohio Dominican flexed its muscle in the Midwest Region with a pair of non-conference wins against Grand Valley State.
 
The Panthers beat the Lakers, 11-7 and 6-1, on Sunday at a neutral field in Mason, Ohio, at Prasco Park, site of the Great Midwest Baseball Championship.
 
North Division Player of the Week
Joey Machuga
Ohio Dominican
Third Base
Sophomore
Canfield, OH (Canfield HS)
 
At the hot corner defensively, Machuga is the other component to a dangerous slugging infield combo after teammate first baseman Justin Childers earned the first player of the week honors.
 
Slotted in the middle of head coach Christopher Antonides’ lineup, Machuga enjoyed a 4-for-7 line at the plate with six RBI with a pair of extra-base hits.
 
He doubled in each of the games against Grand Valley State and also scored twice.
 
Machuga’s two-run double in the bottom of the second inning in game one was sandwiched in between a 10-run inning manufactured by the ODU offense to give the Panthers an 11-0 lead early.
 
After singling and plating one run in the third inning of game two, Machuga cleared the bases in the fourth inning with a three-run double to give Ohio Dominican a 6-0 cushion.
 
Machuga is now hitting .500 through the first four games of the season with three doubles and 10 RBI, the overall conference leader in both categories.
 
North Division Pitcher of the Week
Mitchell Bault
Ohio Dominican
Right-Handed Pitcher
Junior
Maineville, OH (Archbishop Moeller HS)
 
After teammate Matt Kittelberger shut down Pikeville for pitcher of the week honors for the first selection, Bault gets the nod for his work on the mound in game two against Grand Valley State.
 
The 6-3 righty struck out nine hitters in six innings of work for his first winning decision. He limited the GVSU offense to just one run on three hits.
 
Bault fanned Grand Valley State leadoff hitter Alex Mandeville to leave runners stranded on second and third to end the fifth inning.
 
After giving up a leadoff single to start the second inning, the junior buckled down and punched out three straight Lakers’ hitters.
 
Bault is now 1-0 on the season with a 1.29 ERA with 11 strikeouts in seven innings spanning two appearances.