Athlete of the Week: Zak Palmer

Athlete of the Week: Zak Palmer

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Publishing Editor

In a week that saw the Quinnipiac baseball team (6-28, 5-15 NEC) double the number in the win column with three victories and its coach make history, one player did more than his fair share to give the team enough motivation to end a 13-game losing streak that daunted it in the heart of its season.  Sophomore Zak Palmer’s (Mahwah, N.J.) performances in a nonconference match-up against Rhode Island and four games against NEC opponent Mount St. Mary’s earned him attention within the conference.  Palmer was named the Bobcats’ first NEC Baseball Player of the Week since Ben Farina won the honor the week of March 7, 2011.

courtesy: quinnipiacbobcats.com

The most substantial contribution Palmer had at the plate came in the first game against Mount St. Mary’s on April 13.  In the 17-3 win that pushed head coach Dan “Skip” Gooley into the 500-win club, Palmer proved himself unforgiving at the plate as the Mountaineers failed to retire him in any at-bat.  Going 5-for-5 and forcing a walk, the third baseman compiled a quarter of the team’s 20 hits.  In addition to his sheer ability to get on base, Palmer drove in two runs and scored just as many in the game.

Palmer put together 13 total hits, including four doubles on the week, giving him a batting average of .542 in the same timeframe.  His four doubles jumped his season total to five, having only one previous to this week.  Having sat out the game against Hartford on April 17, Palmer is riding a seven-game hitting-streak dating back to the April 7 loss at Monmouth. 

With a strong offensive week behind him, Palmer improved his season totals to 12 RBIs and 17 runs scored.  His 36 hits are good for second on the team, led only by captain Kyle Nisson (Wallingford, Conn.) with 40 on the season.