May 10, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - La Salle University Baseball players John Rickards and Gerard Breslin swept the Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Awards this week after helping the Explorers end a four-game losing streak and take two-of-three against Dayton.

Rickards, who earns his third Big 5 Player of the Week honor this season and fourth of his career, batted .455 for the week with a double, two triples, scored three runs and knocked in three more.

He increased his triple count to five this season - tied for third all-time in a single season - and to 11 for his career - fith all-time and four behind the school record.

When the latest baseball national rankings were released through games May 6, Rickards was ranked 24th in the country in triples per game (.13), 60th in slugging percentage (.654) and eighth in hit by pitch per game (.47).

The junior, who leads the Explorers in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.494), home runs (6), and total bases (86), is the only Philadelphia player to be honored more than once this season by the Big 5.

Breslin becomes the fourth La Salle pitcher to be honored as the Big 5 Pitcher of the Week, joining teammates Dan Waters, Kenny Elkind, and Craig Muschko as 2007 award winners.

The senior appeared in all three games last weekend, posting saves on Friday and Sunday with a pair of scoreless ninth innings. He struck out five batters in a total of 4.1 scoreless innings and now owns 29 career saves.

He picked up his ninth save of the season on Sunday, and ranks 29th in the country in the category - having saved more than half of La Salle's wins this season.

Also on Sunday, the graduating class, which includes Billy Kern, Rich Prall, and John Vincent, won their 74th game in the last four years the fifth-best mark ever at the school and one shy the class of 1999. Breslin has either earned the win or the save in 42 of those victories.

Formed with the mission of increasing the exposure of college baseball in the area, Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball is comprised of the five Division I universities in city that sponsor baseball. The organization, which was called the Philadelphia Diamond Five last season, is now under the umbrella of the Philadelphia Big Five office.

The Big 5 will announce a Player and Pitcher of the Week every Monday during the season, a result of voting conducted by the area head coaches. The second annual All-Big 5 baseball team will be announced at the conclusion of the season.