INDIANAPOLIS – For the ninth week of the spring, Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Players of the Week honors were awarded to Walsh and Kentucky Wesleyan as announced on Monday afternoon.
 
Without divisions this year, teams around the league have been playing four-game series to try and emerge as postseason contenders for the conference tourney at PRASCO Park in Mason, Ohio. 
 
Malone’s latest body of work with a 14-4 conference record gives the Pioneers prime position to push for the top seed while Ohio Dominican is close behind in second at 12-6. 
 
Walsh is currently third at 8-6 while Trevecca Nazarene and Kentucky Wesleyan, both championship programs in the past, are tied for fourth. Alderson Broaddus, another Great Midwest title-winning program, is in solo sixth at 10-8. 
 
Player of the Week
Andrew Czech
Walsh
Infield
RS Junior
Twinsburg, OH (Twinsburg HS)
 
The 6-6 lefty-swinging slugger went on a power binge as the Cavaliers swept Indiana (PA) and salvaged a series split on the road at Kentucky Wesleyan. 
 
In six games, Czech belted five home runs while hitting .478 at the plate (11-for-23) and driving in 13. He scored eight runs, doubled twice and walked twice, while starting at first base defensively. 
 
His slugging percentage of 1.217 was also tops among all Great Midwest players from games starting on April 1. 
 
In a 19-0 Walsh shutout win, Czech homered twice in the second game of the series against KWC, recording six RBI while going 4-for-5. He also doubled and scored four runs. 
 
The season-high run total for the Cavaliers was a result of 23 hits, including a nine-run first inning. The corner infielder ripped a two-run shot in the fifth inning and unloaded against in the sixth with a solo shot. 
 
Czech homered in three straight games over the past week, including the series finale to account for Walsh’s offense. He also had four RBI in the second game of the DH sweep over Indiana (PA).
 
Czech is chasing the batting title in the conference as the league leader with a .423 clip in 29 games this season. He leads all players in the league in hits (44), runs (37), home runs (9) and total bases (82). 
 
Pitcher of the Week
Devin Smith 
Kentucky Wesleyan
RHP
Junior
Teutopolis, IL (Teutopolis HS/Lincoln Land CC)
 
Smith was dynamic as he fired 6 2/3 scoreless innings and fanned 10 to slow down the scorching bats of Walsh in game four, the finale of the weekend series. 
 
Despite receiving the no decision, Smith put his team in position to come away with the victory and ultimately, the series split while staying in the upper third of the conference standings. 
 
He struck out two hitters in each of the first three innings and proceeded to retire the side in order in both the fourth and fifth innings.
 
Smith recorded the first two outs of the inning in the sixth before giving way to Nolan Johnson and observing the Panthers win in walkoff fashion. 
 
Smith is now 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA in seven games started. He has pitched 41.1 innings on the season and has 47 strikeouts.