June 11, 2007
Cullowhee, N.C. - In the final round of Athletes of the Month recognized by the Southern Conference office, Western Carolina landed three amidst those honored for the month of May. Red-shirt sophomore Drew Saberhagen was tabbed the Baseball Pitcher of the Month, junior Matt Cook was named the Men's Golfer of the Month and sophomore Mendy McKenzie was tabbed the Softball Pitcher of the Month, released today by the league office.
One athlete was chosen from each of the following sports: baseball, men's and women's golf and softball. Competitions from May, as well as early June, were included in the selection process.
Eight different Catamounts have been selected as conference Athletes of the Month this year with Cook leading all with three repeat selections after garnering the men's golf top player award in September, October and again in May. Women's golf junior, Malin Fryk, was tabbed as the top performer in September, as well. Saberhagen joins senior Kenny Smith as honorees from the WCU baseball team with Smith recognized back in March along with softball sophomore, Stephanie Beatty, and now her classmate, McKenzie. Juniors Zeb Johnson and Raquel Ramseur were honored during indoor season in January.
Saberhagen led Western with a perfect 4-0 record in five starts during the month, including a shutout victory over Jacksonville in the NCAA Baseball Championship Chapel Hill Regional, pitching eight masterful innings, scattering seven base hits. The Calabassas, Calif., native tossed 33.2 innings and boasted a 2.94 ERA in May, only allowing eight extra base hits during his five appearances with opponents only hitting .260 against the left-hander.
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SoCon Baseball Pitcher of the Month for May, Drew Saberhagen  |
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Back on May 5, Saberhagen earned a win over arch-rival Appalachian State after scattering eight base hits and four earned runs through six innings of work in the 13-7 victory. He also went six solid innings of shutout work on the road at Wofford on May 12, striking out three in the 21-3 drubbing of the Terriers. The transfer additionally made two starts against Georgia Southern during the month, earning WCU a share of the SoCon regular season title by going six innings, holding the Eagles to three earned runs on seven hits while striking out a career-best six in the 8-3 victory. In the conference tournament against the Eagles, Saberhagen pitched well enough to get the win, scattering four earned runs on six base hits through seven and two thirds before being lifted in the 6-5 loss, with two of the runs surrendered coming after he had left the mound.
SoCon Men's Golfer of the Month for May, Matt Cook |
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Saberhagen was a unanimous first-team All-Southern Conference selection by the both the league's coaches and the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) as a starting pitcher, and was also named to the Chapel Hill Regional all-tournament team.
Cook opened the month with his third top five career individual performance at the SoCon Men's Golf Championship, firing a two-under, 70, in the final round of the conference championship to rally to a fourth-place finish. His SoCon performances include a fifth-place finish his freshman season and individual medalist honors a year ago. The junior, who ranked atop the SoCon in scoring average entering the conference tournament play, was named to the 10-member, all-conference squad following tournament play.
The Murphy, N.C., native earned his second straight at-large bid into the NCAA East Regional in May where he posted his career-best finish at the regional event with a three-day total of 223. He carded a five-over, 77, on the final day to finish in a four-way tie for 46th place, improving 60 spots from a year ago. Over the final nine holes, Cook played his best golf of the 54-hole tournament, shooting two-under with birdies on the par 4 hole No. 4 and his final hole, the par 5 No. 9.
During the 2006-07 campaign, Cook posted seven top 10 finishes, including three-consecutive individual medalist honors during the fall portion of the season. The All-SoCon performer and three-time SoCon Player of the Month was also twice recognized by Golf World, making its mid-season "All-American" team and was named "Most Surprising Player" in the nation by the publication.
SoCon Softball Pitcher of the Month for May, Mendy McKenzie |
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After leading the SoCon with record five Player of the Week selections and Pitcher of the Year accolades as a freshman, McKenzie became the first Catamount pitcher to record a victory in the SoCon tournament this season, earning two wins during Western Carolina's tournament run in May. McKenzie threw 22.2 innings with a 2-1 record, including a four-hit shutout win over UNC Greensboro in the conference tournament, posting a 0.62 ERA en route to landing on the all-tournament team, another first in the two-year old program's history.
The Clemmons, N.C., native had a 1.15 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched, surrendering just five earned runs while recording 25 strikeouts in the month. She posted nine strikeouts in the 2-0 shutout victory over Georgia Southern in the SoCon tournament opening-round victory over the Eagles and fanned eight in the win over UNCG.
Western Carolina Southern Conference Athletes of the Month in 2006-07Stephanie Beatty (Softball) - March Matt Cook (Men's Golf) - September, October, May Malin Fyrk (Women's Golf) - September Zeb Johnson (Men's Indoor Track & Field) - January Mendy McKenzie (Softball) - March Raquel Ramseur (Women's Indoor Track & Field ) - January Drew Saberhagen (Baseball) - May Kenny Smith (Baseball) - March
