Freshmen Gibson Bittner and Jack Layrisson were named the USA South Baseball Rookie Pitcher and Player of the Week respectively for the week ending April 1. Laryssion was selected for the second time this season, joining teammate McKinley Erves.
Bittner picked up two wins as the Panthers went 3-1 for the week. He pitched 8-2/3 innings, allowed one run, six hits, a walk, and struck out 11. Bittner made his first start of the season in a 17-3 win over Oglethorpe, allowing a run on four hits in four innings, while striking out seven. In a 12-7 USA South victory over Piedmont, he pitched 4-2/3 innings of scorless relief to pick up his second win of the week. For the season, Bittner is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA. He has struck out 39 in 36-1/3 innings of work.
Layrisson batted .563 with 12 RBIs in the four games. He had a .579 on-base percentage, a .750 slugging percentage, with six runs scored, a double, a triple, two walks and a stolen base. Layrisson helped the Panthers take of three games against USA South foe Piedmont, going a combined 6-for-12 with five runs scored, seven RBIs, a double, two walks, and one stolen base. He is batting .325 this season with three home runs and a team-leading 32 RBIs.
