PCL Names Player & Pitcher of the Week
Published on August 10, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1) News Release
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - First baseman Micah Hoffpauir of the Iowa Cubs and starting pitcher Michael Kirkman of the Oklahoma City RedHawks have been named the Pacific Coast League's Player and Pitcher of the Week from August 2-8, the league announced Tuesday.
Hoffpauir, a 6-3, 215-pound left-handed hitter, led the league in batting average (.536), hits (15) and OPS (1.537) for the week, while adding three home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI and nine runs scored. Since the All-Star break, Hoffpauir is hitting .372 (35-for-94) with 10 homers, 11 doubles, 31 RBI and 23 runs scored in 23 games played.
The 30-year-old veteran led the I-Cubs to a 6-1 mark during the week, including a four-game sweep of fellow division-leader Tacoma. The Cubs have won 9-of-11 and 16-of-21 contests, pushing their record to a PCL-best 67-48 record, 4.5 games better than Memphis and Omaha in the American Northern Division.
Hoffpauir's PCL Player of the Week award is the third of his career and first since 2008.
Kirkman earns his second PCL Pitcher of the Week award of the year, going 2-0 in two starts for Oklahoma City. He dealt Iowa their lone loss of the week in a 5-1 victory on August 3 and notched a 5-2 decision over Colorado Springs on August 8. For the season, Kirkman improved his record to 12-3 with a sparkling 3.00 ERA, while his 12 strikeouts boosted his league-leading total to 121.
The 6-4 left-hander, just 23 years of age, was a fifth-round pick in the 2005 first-year player draft by the Texas Rangers organization. He split time between Single-A Bakersfield and Double-A Frisco in 2009, totaling nine wins and 118 strikeouts in 144 2/3 innings pitched, all career-highs entering the 2010 campaign.
The I-Cubs and RedHawks have each had five players receive PCL Player and Pitcher of the Week honors during the 2010 season, more than any other club. Omaha (four) and Albuquerque (three) are the only other teams whose players have received more than two weekly awards.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 10, 2010
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- Bullpen Implosion Keeps Cubs in Loss Column - Iowa Cubs
- RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Iowa Cubs and Ryne Sandberg Hightlight River Cats August 13-20 Homestand - Sacramento River Cats
- PCL Names Player & Pitcher of the Week - PCL1
- Salt Lake Bees And Colorado Springs Sky Sox Visit Greer During Eight-Game Homestand - Nashville Sounds
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- Reno's Streak Snapped In 12-5 Loss to Memphis - Reno Aces
- Sounds Blow Out Vegas, 12-2 - Nashville Sounds
- Bees Get 6-5 Win Over New Orleans Zephyrs - Salt Lake Bees
- 10th Inning Homer Stuns Zephyrs - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Sky Sox Win on Walk-Off, 2-1 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
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