ODAC Athletes of the Week | Baseball, Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis

ODAC Athletes of the Week | Baseball, Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis

FOREST, Va. --- Spring Break is here for several schools in week 27 with a plethora of games in all spring sports from trips to warmer locations for tournaments and invitationals. Those earning ODAC Athlete of the Week awards for Monday, March 7, include (pictured from left and top): Mark Sprague from Virginia Wesleyan men's lacrosse, Sophie Tully from Lynchburg softball, Tyler Harvey from Ferrum women's lacrosse, Canon Secord from Bridgewater men's tennis, Natalia Garcia Molina from Shenandoah women's tennis, Grayson Thurman from LYN baseball, Emily Seale from VWU softball, and Carrson Atkins from LYN baseball.

Below are entries for each of the winners from today's release. As winter sports continue, spring sports will soon begin competition. Once those seasons begin, the following schedule will be used for awards reporting:

  • Mondays: baseball, softball, m/w lacrosse, and m/w tennis
  • Tuesdays: outdoor track & field
  • Wednesdays: m/w golf

For more on ODAC athletics, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Grayson Thurman | Lynchburg | Sr. | Closer
Thurman, a senior from Lynch Station, Va., continues to have a rubber arm for Lynchburg as he picks up his second straight weekly award after earning a win and registering a pair of saves while fanning 14 batters in six innings of work. Thurman opened the week by working the final three frames to earn a win in the Hornets 10-5 triumph over William Peace. He gave up one run on three hits and struck out five batters among the nine outs recorded. He did not walk a batter. Thurman then pitched the final two innings to earn a save in an 8-6 win over York College (Pa.) in game two of a three-game set against the Spartans. He scattered three hits and made up for the baserunners by punching out five batters including the final three hitters of the game. Thurman capped his week the next day by striking out not three but four batters in the ninth inning to close out a 9-8 Lynchburg victory. He did not allow a baserunner in that outing. For the season, Thurman leads the ODAC and is tied for #1 in NCAA Division III with five saves. He owns a 1.72 ERA and has struck out an ODAC second-best 35 batters in 15.2 innings of work. His 20.11 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio leads the league is ninth in the country.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Carrson Atkins | Lynchburg | Sr. | Centerfielder
Atkins, a senior from Charlottesville, Va., played the roles of both table-setter and run producer in Lynchburg four victories last week as he reached based safely at least twice in each contest. Atkins went 3-for-3 with a walk in 10-5 win over William Peace to start the week. He smacked two doubles including one that drove in a run, and blew the game open with an eighth-inning grand slam for his first collegiate long ball. He also scored three runs and stole a base. In game one of a three-game sweep (15-4, 8-6, 9-8) of York College (Pa.), Atkins singled cracked a RBI single and walked while scoring twice. In game two, he again registered a RBI single and walked. In the final contest, Atkins doubled in a run in the sixth inning and walked while also scoring once. For the season, Atkins is slashing .382/.523/.618 with three doubles, a triple, a homer, and 10 RBI. He has stolen three bases and has hit safely in five straight games. He has been perfect in centerfield, handling all 16 chances without issue.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mark Sprague | Virginia Wesleyan | Jr. | Midfielder
Sprague, a junior from Marshall, Va., led Virginia Wesleyan to a pair of non-conference victories with a career week. Sprague registered a career-best six goals in the Marlins 20-9 victory over Husson. He added one assist to give him seven points to match his career-high for a third time. He added four ground balls and a caused turnover to his line. Sprague was again a multi-point scorer in a 22-9 win over Gordon. He scored three times and dished out a pair of assists for five points, giving him at least three points in all five games played this season. For the year, Sprague is tied for the ODAC lead in points (23) and is second in goals scored (17).

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Canon Secord | Bridgewater | Sr. | #1 Singles | #1 Doubles
Secord, a senior from Harrisonburg, Va., helped Bridgewater to a 2-1 week by going 4-2 in top-of-the-ladder singles and doubles action. Secord and Bridgewater suffered their only losses of the week against Division II foe Tiffin University. Secord fell to Ruben Fonga, 6-0, 7-6 in singles play and joined Matthew Leonard in a 6-3 setback to Fonga and Cyrille Colomb in doubles action. The Eagles rebounded with a pair of 9-0 victories over St. Vincent College and Brevard College. Secord and Leonard earned an 8-1 win over SVC duo Jon Oskin and David Lynn. Secord then trumped Lynn, 6-2, 6-0 in singles play. BC's tandem was again in action against Brevard, posting an 8-0 triumph over James Srsich and Devin Horton. Secord won 6-3, 6-1 over Ethan McGee in singles play.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Emily Seale | Virginia Wesleyan | So. | Pitcher
Seale, a sophomore from Madison, Va., made five appearances at the ultra-competitive NFCA Leadoff Classic and return to Virginia Wesleyan's campus with four victories and a save without a loss. Seale, the 2021 ODAC Rookie of the Year, worked the first three innings in the Marlins 12-0 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University. She gave up two hits and walked one with six strikeouts among the nine outs she recorded. She then came back later that day and worked three innings of relief to earn the win in a 5-4 decision over nationally top-ranked DePauw University. She gave up two runs on four hits. She walked one and fanned three Tigers. Seale worked just one game the next day as she went six innings to earn a 5-1 win over Pomona-Pitzer. She gave up one run on three hits with a walk and seven punchouts. On the final day, Seale appeared in both of VWU's outings. She started and went the first five innings for a 5-4 victory over Central College (Iowa). She surrendered one unearned run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. She then closed the second game to record a save in a 1-0 win over MIT. She gave up one hit and walked one with a strikeout in the final inning. For the season, Seale is 5-1 with a save in eight appearances including six starts. She has struck out 33 batters in 35.2 innings of work for a 6.48 K/7 ratio, which is more than double her strikeout rate from a season ago.

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SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophie Tully | Lynchburg | Jr. | 1st Base
Tully, a junior from Moseley, Va., was red hot in Lynchburg's 4-2 showing at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic hosted in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Tully hit .706 (12-for-17) with a 2.031 OPS (.737 OBP plus 1.294 SLG), six extra-base hits and 15 runs driven in. She increased her hitting streak to eight consecutive games with at least one hit in all six contests this week. In a doubleheader split with Grove City College (9-5, 9-10) on day one, Tully went 7-for-8 including a three-run double and three-run homer in game one. One day two, she was 1-for-3 with a double in a 3-2 loss to Kean University and cracked a RBI single and a two-run double in a 12-0 win over SUNY-Purchase in game two. One the final day, Tully went 2-for-2 with a walk in each of the Hornets victories -- 11-1 over Eureka and 18-0 over Lebanon Valley. She doubled, drove in a run, walked, and stole a base against Eureka. She legged out a three-run triple and belted a solo homer with a walk against Lebanon Valley. For the season, Tully leads the ODAC in RBI (18), triples (3), and SLG (1.061). She is tied for the league lead in doubles (6) and homers (2). She is fifth in batting (.515) and ninth in OBP (.568).

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WOMEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Harvey | Ferrum | Fy. | Attack
Harvey, a first-year from Ferrum, Va., helped the Panthers to their first two wins of the 2022 season in a pair of non-conference contests. Harvey registered an early career-best six goals in a 17-5 victory over N.C. Wesleyan. She converted 1-of-2 free position attempts and caused a pair of turnovers. Harvey then collected three points as Ferrum erased a one-goal deficit after three periods to post a 15-14 road win at Pfeiffer. She scored twice, including one in the decisive fourth frame, and dished out an assist. She added a ground ball to her statistical line. For the season, Harvey has posted 13 points on an ODAC fourth-best 12 goals with an assist.

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WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Natalia Garcia Molina | Shenandoah | Gr. | #1 Singles | #1 Doubles
Garcia Molina, a graduate student from Castellón de la Plana, Spain, picks up her first ODAC weekly award after leading Shenandoah to a 1-1 week against ODAC opponents. Garcia Molina accounted for two points in SU's narrow 5-4 team setback to Lynchburg. She topped all-time Lynchburg wins leader and former ODAC Player of the Year Christina Harris, 6-4, 6-3 at #1 singles. She joined Jahveesha Combs for an 8-4 win over Harris and Lauren Pascadlo in top-flight doubles play. Garcia Molina again accounted for two points for SU in a 5-0 team win over Guilford. She and Combs topped Madyson Schreiber and Hannah Pardue, 8-0, at #1 doubles. Garcia Molina added a 6-0, 6-1 win over Schreiber at #1 singles.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK