March 3, 2009

FAIRFIELD, CT - Sacred Heart senior Jeff Hanson (Woodstock, NY) was named the Akadema/Northeast Conference Baseball Player of the Week today after terrorizing Southeastern Louisiana University pitching in a three-game series.

Hanson homered in each of his first three games to open his senior season in a big way. The first baseman's hot start yielded a .667 batting clip last weekend and powered the Pioneers to 21 runs in three games against the Lions.

The senior masher went 8-for-12 at the plate with 13 RBI and seven runs scored during the season-opening series. Hanson walked once, absorbed a hit-by-pitch, and suffered only one strikeout in 14 plate appearances. Six of Hanson's eight hits were of the extra-base variety as he produced three two-baggers in addition to the trio of long balls.

The veteran first baseman produced a four-hit, seven-RBI performance, which included a grand slam, in helping the Pioneers take the series' second game by a 13-8 count. He went 2-for-3, drove in three runs, and scored twice in the season opener, a 10-9 setback to SE Louisiana. Starting two of the three contests at first after missing 43 games due to injury last year, the two-time All-NEC selection (2006, 2007) recorded 19 put outs.