INDIANAPOLIS – Walsh and Tiffin continue to ride the coattails of a hot start to the season as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Players of the Week honors were released on Tuesday morning.
 
Defending conference champion Tiffin flexed its muscle against Midwest Region opponent Grand Valley State with a series sweep while Trevecca Nazarene moved even at the top of the standings with the Dragons following a four-game stint vs. Malone.
 
Likewise, Cedarville brought out the brooms in a four-game sweep over Lake Erie while Hillsdale took three of four from Ohio Valley and Walsh and Findlay had some high-scoring affairs in a weekend split.
 
Player of the Week
Brenden Spaulding
Walsh
Outfield
Graduate Student
Akron, OH (Archbishop Hoban HS)
 
The fireworks absolutely exploded in the series between the home Cavaliers and visiting Findlay as the two teams tussled to a four-game split while each game was decided by two runs or less.
 
Three of those finals were by one-run margins and in two of the games, both teams put up double-digit runs on the scoreboard in 15-14 and 11-10 box scores.
 
Spaulding had nine hits in 14 at-bats (.643) and recorded six extra-base hits while driving in a dozen over the four games. He also homered, scored four times and swiped a pair of bases.
 
Spaulding hit a grand slam in Game 1 of the series, part of a 5 RBI performance that included an infield run-scoring groundout. It came in the ninth inning as the Cavaliers attempted to rally after going into the frame trailing 15-8.
 
In Game 2, Spaulding went 2-for-4 at the plate and was responsible for the game-winning RBI with drawing a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning.
 
Game 3 was a pitcher’s duel between lefty Brent Alazaus, who moved to 3-0, and Findlay’s Chase Hopewell. Spaulding had his fingerprints all over this one too with a double, stolen base and two walks in a 3-1 Walsh win.
 
The outfielder ended the series with a bang, going for 4-for-4 with 5 RBI. He doubled three times as Walsh scored 10 runs on 11 hits. He had two RBI each in the third and fourth innings, including a double that pulled the Cavaliers to 8-6.
 
Spaulding is currently fourth in the conference in batting average through 13 games played at .423. His 11 extra-base hits is second only to Hillsdale slugger Jeff Landis and he’s tied for the league lead in doubles with (6) with Cedarville’s Jacob Clements.
 
Pitcher of the Week
Tyler Wehrle
Tiffin
RHP
Sophomore
Bradner, OH (Lakota HS)
 
Wehrle is another arm that had a promising season curtailed due to COVID in 2020, earning three wins in as many appearances with a 1.35 ERA and 19 strikeouts in just 13.1 innings.
 
The sophomore has now put together back-to-back scoreless starts in the middle of the rotation, this time hurling six shutout frames for a win against Grand Valley State.
 
His effort polished off a three-game sweep and helped the Dragons win their seventh straight in the regular season.
 
Wehrle was backed by plenty of run support as the offense generated 11 as he scattered three hits and struck out five. He only walked one.
 
It was his third appearance of the spring after picking up seven punchouts in his debut vs. nationally-ranked Ashland on March 5.
 
Wehrle is now 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched.