LACKEY, VANDER HEY NAMED RRAC P.O.W.
March 13, 2007

FORT WORTH, TX:  Texas Wesleyan University’s Josh Vander Hey and Hayden Lackey have been named Red River Athletic Conference Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week for the period of March 5-11.

Vander Hey and Lackey have led a red-hot Rams team to a 15-3 start this season, and the team has garnered a #22 national ranking.

Lackey, a junior pitcher from Duncanville, TX, posted three consecutive saves for the Rams including one against UT-Dallas and two in a double-header against UT-Brownsville on Friday.  In 3 1/3 innings of work, he struck out six hitters and walked none.  In the process, Lackey tied the school’s record with six saves in a single season and extended his career saves record to 13.  He is now just three appearances shy of the school’s career mark of 56.  For the season he holds a 1.29 ERA in 10 appearances.

Vander Hey, a junior catcher from Cypress, TX, continued his hot hitting by going 7-for-15 at the plate (.467) as the Rams rolled to a 4-1 week. Vander Hey hit in all five games and has now had at least one hit in 16 of 18 games this season. He opened the week by going 3-for-5 with an RBI in a 6-5 victory over University of Texas-Dallas then added a solo home run in the next game, a 5-3 win against University of Texas-Brownsville. For the week, Vander Hey had six RBIs, two doubles and three walks.  For the year, he leads the team with a .466 AVG and 27 RBI in 18 games.  Vander Hey shared his award with Travis O’Donnell of Huston-Tillotson University (TX) who hit .538 with 7 RBI in a 4-0 week for H-TU.

The Rams will return to the field on Wednesday, when they host UT-Tyler.  That game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at LaGrave Field.