Little East Conference Weekly Honors for PSU Baseball and Men’s Lax players

- Two Plymouth State University spring sport athletes were recognized by the Little East Conference Monday with top weekly honors for their performances on PSU's spring trips last week to Florida.

            Sophomore Chip Hale (Londonderry, N.H.) was named LEC Baseball Pitcher of the Week, and junior goalie Steve Valeri (Chelmsford, Mass.) was selected LEC Men's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week.  They are the first weekly honors this spring for PSU student-athletes.

A right-handed starter, Hale (left) pitched two complete games at the Gene Cusic Classic, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.38 earned run average and 17 strikeouts in 13 innings. He allowed only eight hits and four runs (two earned) and two walks while striking out 17. Hale defeated Knox on two hits and two unearned runs, striking out 11, and lost to Division II Southern New Hampshire 2-0, surrendering six hits and two runs and striking out six. The Panther baseball team, 5-7 overall, opens LEC play this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. with a doubleheader at UMass Dartmouth.

A three-year starter in goal, Valeri (right) is off to another strong start this season. He posted a 5.00 goals against average and a .762 saves percentage as PSU went 1-1 on its spring trip to Florida. He posted his first career shutout with 18 saves in the 14-0 win over New England College and tallied 14 saves in the 10-8 loss to Union. The PSU men's lax team, 1-3 overall, plays a non-conference game Tuesday at Wheaton (4:00 p.m.) and opens LEC play Saturday at Western Connecticut (12:00 p.m.)

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