(Rochester, Minn.) – The 2017 Rochester Honkers are contributing to their respective colleges as they hit the mid-point of their seasons.  Here is a look at what happed, some surprises, some not.

David Noworyta (C) – Hawaii (15-8)

David saw his first action of the season Sunday in a 14-1 win over San Jose State. He entered the game in the eighth inning and made the most of his first at-bat of the season by hitting a single to right center, bringing in a run. The Rainbow Warriors face off against future Honker Mike Echavia and the Nevada Wolfpack in a four-game series starting on Thursday.

Ryan Dorney (RHP) – St. Martin’s (8-14)

Ryan made his sixth start of the season Saturday against Western Oregon. Dorney went 5.2 innings, giving up only one run on five hits, but he ended with the no decision. He struck out four with four walks. St. Martin’s scored the winning run in extra innings (eighth inning of seven). St. Martin’s has struggled to give Dorney run support when he is pitching. The Saints have scored only four times (.67 runs per start) while he is pitching. Dorney is 0-4 with a 1.80 ERA (team best among starters) and 23 strikeouts on the season. St. Martin’s travels to Portland, Ore. for a four-game series versus Concordia this weekend.

Griffin Neuer (OF) – Bellarmine (14-10)

Griffin started all four games for Bellarmine against Southern Indiana at left field. He totaled four hits (15 at-bats) in the series including three runs and a walk. Neuer has scored at least one run in nine of his last 11 games. Griffin is batting .370 with five doubles, 19 runs, and 16 RBIs. The Knights travel to McKendree University (Ill.) for a four-game series this weekend.

 

Ryan Thompson (RHP) – Illinois (6-15)

Thompson appeared in three games for the Illini, all in relief. In a 7-1 win over Illinois State, he pitched a perfect seventh inning in ten pitches. Ryan also saw action in two games against Michigan State. He pitched a total of two innings over the series, giving up two runs on two hits with a strikeout and a walk. Thompson is 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA in nine games. Illinois hosts Bradley for a single game and later Indiana State for a three-game weekend series.

 

Josh Nashed (RHP/DH) – San Jose State (9-14)

Nashed started as the designated hitter for the Spartans this weekend versus Hawaii. He churned out two multi-hit games (.400 avg. in the series), including a RBI single in Saturday’s 4-5 loss. Josh’s hit brought San Jose within two runs, but the Spartans could not complete the comeback. Nashed is batting .277 on the season with six RBIs. He also has a 4.97 ERA in five starts with 22 strikeouts and four walks.

 

Morgan McCullough (INF) – Oregon (15-6)

The Ducks’ second basement had a big part in Oregon’s 4-3 win over Washington on Friday. Morgan went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs, and a RBI, including the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. He added another hit and a run during Sunday’s 3-12 loss to the Huskies. McCullough is batting .217 with nine runs and a team high 15 walks. Oregon hosts Portland for a single game before traveling to Utah for a three-game series.

 

Mike Echavia (OF) – Nevada (7-17)

Echavia had a very productive weekend versus Air Force. He tripled bringing in two runs and walked twice in Friday’s 10-2 win. The Falcons took Saturday’s game, but not before Echavia hit his fourth home run of the season. He later brought in a run on a double. He also struck in the series finale Sunday with a sacrifice fly that scored the go-ahead run in the eighth, leading the Wolfpack to a 9-8 victory. Mike is batting .295 with 17 runs and 17 RBIs on the season. Nevada hosts San Francisco before traveling to Hawaii for four games this weekend.

 

Kenyon Yovan (RHP/DH) – Oregon (15-6)

The Ducks’ closer had another great week, picking up two saves in two attempts. On Friday, Kenyon threw two scoreless innings for the save, including a perfect ninth frame for a 4-3 win over Washington. Yovan came back the next night to shut down the Huskies for his eighth save of the season. That mark places him tied for sixth all-time in school history for saves in a season. The record is 21. Yovan is 1-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA in 13.0 innings.

 

Highlight Player of the Week

Eddie Mathis (RHP) — Bellarmine (14-10)

The Bellarmine Knight won his fourth straight start in a 7-2 win over Southern Indiana on Friday. Mathis pitched a complete game, giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits. He struck out six batters and walked two. This marked his third complete game of the season. Since a 0-2 start, he has pitched seven or more innings in each of his last five starts. Eddie is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 45.1 innings. He has 30 strikeouts to six walks.