Brooks, Nearey Claim USCAA Weekly Honors

MEDIA, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine baseball team claimed a pair of weekly awards from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association on Tuesday as freshman Tyler Brooks (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) was named hitter of the week and sophomore Dan Nearey (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) was selected as the pitcher of the week. Nearey also earned pitcher of the week accolades from the Penn State University Athletic Conference.

Brooks hit safely in all three games he played in last week, batting 9-for-11 with three multi-hit efforts. After being retired during his first at-bat against Penn State York Friday night, Brooks hit safely in his next nine plate appearances over the span of three games.

Five of Brooks' hits went for extra bases, including his first collegiate home run, a solo shot in the fourth inning of a 9-3 Brandywine triumph Saturday afternoon. During the series, Brooks also knocked in four runs, scored three times and stole two bases.

In five games this spring, Brooks is hitting .643 (9-14) with seven runs batted in and five runs scored.

Making his first-career start on the mound Friday night, Nearey fired a complete game, one-hit shutout against York. He struck out 11 hitters, two shy of matching a Brandywine single-game record.

Nearey held the visitors without a hit through 4.2 innings before a two-out single in the fifth broke up his bid for a no-hitter. Only four York batters reached base safely over 7.0 innings against Nearey, who earned his first collegiate victory.

Through two appearances this spring, Nearey has fired 9.0 consecutive scoreless innings, striking out 16, while yielding just three hits.

Brandywine (5-1, 3-1 PSUAC) hosts Penn State Schuylkill Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm.