Baseball: Petello Picks up Sun Belt Honor

Baseball: Petello Picks up Sun Belt Honor

Mike Petello launched three home runs and posted 10 RBI helping lead Louisiana to a series victory at La.-Monroe in the regular season finale. On Monday, he was rewarded for his efforts as the Sun Belt Conference named him Player of the Week. It is the first weekly honor for Petello in his career as a Sun Belt student-athlete.

Courtesy: RaginCajuns.com
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Mike Petello launched three home runs and posted 10 RBI helping lead Louisiana to a series victory at La.-Monroe in the regular season finale. On Monday, he was rewarded for his efforts as the Sun Belt Conference named him Player of the Week. It is the first weekly honor for Petello in his career as a Sun Belt student-athlete.

Mike Petello produced a large amount of offense for Louisiana in the regular-season ending series last weekend in Monroe and was rewarded for his efforts on Monday as the Sun Belt Conference named him Player of the Week

Petello homered three times in the season-ending series against La.-Monroe at Warhawk Field and ended the weekend with a 1.417 slugging percentage.

Petello hit 7-of-12 (.583) in the series with five runs scored, one double and three home runs. The senior transfer from New Orleans posted 10 RBI, registering multiple-RBI in each game of the series.

In the opener Petello went 2-for-4 with three RBI. He followed up Thursday’s performance with his third four-hit game of the season on Friday. In Friday’s game, Petello turned in a 4-for-5 performance with four runs scored, two home runs and five RBI. He homered twice off of Warhawks starter Randy Zeigler who had allowed only five on the season entering the game. Petello added his third homer of the series in the first inning of Saturday’s contest.

The Scottsdale, Ariz., upped his Sun Belt only average to .388 and the 17 total bases he picked up increased his Sun Belt-only total to a league-best 77.

Petello’s production keyed the Ragin’ Cajuns series victory over the Warhawks which allowed the squad to secure the No. 3 seed for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament this week.

This is the first weekly honor in Petello’s career as a Sun Belt student-athlete and third for the Ragin’ Cajuns this season (Taylor Hubbell was named Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 28 and Jordan Nicholson was awarded Pitcher of the Week on May 9). Petello is the first Cajuns hitter named SBC Player of the Week since Alex Fuselier on May 10, 2010.

Petello and his teammates travel to Monroe tomorrow to prepare for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament which runs Wednesday-Sunday, May 25-29. UL’s day off in the round-robin event is Wednesday. The squad opens play on Thursday, May 26 vs. South Alabama at 11 a.m.

ALL-TIME RAGIN’ CAJUNS SUN BELT PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS (joined league in 1992)
2011: Mike Petello (5/23)
2010: Alex Fuselier (5/10)
2009: Les Smith (3/23); Greg Fontenot (4/6)
2007: Kolin Hatfield (4/2); Jefferies Tatford (4/9); Jonathan Lucroy (5/7)
2006: Josh Landry (5/22)
2005: Dallas Morris (3/7); Justin Morgan (3/28); Jonathan Lucroy (4/18)
2004: Phillip Hawke (3/22); Dallas Morris (4/12)
2003: Corey Coles (4/28)
2002: Bryan Sneed (4/1); Chase Lambin (5/13)
2000: Rick Haydel (3/20); Will Hawkins (4/3)
1999: George O’Dwyer (3/29); Ryan Gill (4/19); Ian Calais (5/17)
1998: Rick Haydel (4/20)
1997: Kevin Cantrelle (3/31); Justin Hemme (4/14)
1995: Tony Spaulding (3/20)
1994: Brooke Inzerella (3/28); Travis Krause (4/25)
1992: Papo Ramos (4/13)

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