Horizon League Baseball Players of the Week (May 1)

INDIANAPOLIS – Valparaiso outfielder Giovanni Garbella paced all Horizon League players last week in batting, slugging, hits and total bases to earn Batter of the Week honors. This week’s Pitcher of the Week is Jake Dahlberg of UIC who scattered three hits over eight innings and struck out six Georgia Tech batters in the Flames’ 1-0 win.

BATTER OF THE WEEK | GIOVANNI GARBELLA | VALPARAISO | JUNIOR | OF | SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
After ripping two doubles in a midweek game at Notre Dame on Tuesday night, Garbella continued his recent tear with a strong performance this weekend at Youngstown State. The Valpo junior hit .583 in the three-game series with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs. Garbella accumulated 13 total bases in the three games. Since an illness to another play gave him an opportunity to regain a spot in the starting lineup, Garbella has made sure he hasn't left the lineup as the team's most pleasant surprise of the year. Entering Valpo's game against Northern Kentucky on April 9, Garbella was hitting .213 with no home runs and eight RBIs in 26 games this season and was a .204 career hitter over three years. Since then, he's hitting .451 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 14 games.

2017 Batters of the Week
Feb. 20 – Andrew Kendrick, Youngstown State
Feb. 27 – Andrew Kendrick, Youngstown State
March 6 – Dalton Varsho, Milwaukee
March 13 – Lorenzo Arcuri, Youngstown State
March 20 – Jake Richmond, Northern Kentucky
March 27 – Scott Ota, UIC
April 3 – Andrew Kendrick, Youngstown State
April 10 – Trey Ganns, Northern Kentucky
April 17 – Seth Gray, Wright State
April 24 – Trey Ganns, Northern Kentucky
May 1 – Giovanni Garbella, Valparaiso

PITCHER OF THE WEEK | JAKE DAHLBERG | UIC | SENIOR | LHP | VANCOUVER, WASH.
Dahlberg struck out six and allowed only three hits over a season-high 8.0 innings of work as he helped UIC take down ACC foe Georgia Tech, 1-0, on April 28. He walked only one Yellow Jacket and limited the opposition to a batting average of .120. It was the eighth shutout of the season for UIC and the eighth consecutive Dahlberg start that the team pulled out a victory.

2017 Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 20 – Danny Sexton, Wright State
Feb. 27 – Connor Ryan, UIC
March 6 – Zane Collins, Wright State
March 13 – Jake Dahlberg, UIC
March 20 – Zane Collins, Wright State
March 27 – Danny Sexton, Wright State
April 3 – Reid Birlingmair, UIC
April 10 – Jake Dahlberg, UIC
April 17 – Reid Birlingmair, UIC
April 24 – Ellis Foreman, Valparaiso
May 1 – Jake Dahlberg, UIC