April 26, 2010
Diekroeger Leads Off "Three Strikes" with Baseball America's Aaron Fitt
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-- Stanford freshman third baseman Kenny Diekroeger (Woodside, Calif.) was named the Pac-10 Conference's Player of the Week after two game-winning hits and a .500 average last weekend in the team's sweep of No. 15-ranked California.
Diekroeger opened up the series with the game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to give the Cardinal the series opening win, 3-2, before posting three hits and two RBIs in game two in the series clincher. On Sunday the freshman capped a three-run ninth inning against the Bears with an RBI double to give the Cardinal the sweep, at 11-10.
This is the second-straight week the Cardinal have had a conference player of the week, as Jonathan Kaskow, one of the nation's top hitters at .462, earned the conference honor last week. Diekroeger is hitting .331 overall with 27 RBIs this season.
Stanford (21-13, 10-5 Pac-10), who play at Santa Clara Monday night, moved up to No. 18 in Collegiate Baseball, No. 21 in Baseball America and No. 23 in the coaches poll, riding an eight-game win streak. The Cardinal are a game back in the conference standings to Arizona State (11-4).