LSU's Wise Gets Top Award from Sportswriters This Week

April 19, 2006

For Immediate Release

BATON ROUGE -- Second baseman J.T. Wise of LSU and right-handed pitcher James Stephens of Louisiana-Monroe were named Tuesday as the Louisiana Sportswriters Association Baseball Players of the Week.

    Wise, a freshman from Apopka, Fla., was named Hitter of the Week as he batted .538 (7-for-13) in four games with one double, two homers, six runs and 10 RBI. He led the Tigers to a series victory over No. 8 Alabama, providing the game-winning hits in Games 1 and 2.

    Wise delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday to break a 6-6 tie and lift the Tigers to a 7-6 victory. He converted on a critical RBI opportunity on Saturday, launching a three-run homer to break a 5-5 tie and propel LSU to an 8-6 win.

    Wise hit .545 in the series win over the Crimson Tide with one homer, one double, three runs and seven RBI. He is LSU's leading hitter this season, batting .355 (50-for 111) with 11 doubles, seven homers, and 30 RBI.

    Stephens, a junior from Monroe, La., was named Pitcher of the Week as he threw a complete game two-hitter to help the Indians win the first game of a doubleheader, 5-1, over Southeastern Louisiana.

    Stephens gave up only two singles -- one in the first inning and one in the fifth -- in the 113-pitch effort.

    The only run of the game scored off of Stephens was the result of a pair of errors before he retired the final eight batters. The complete game was the first of Stephens' career.