Avila Named SEC Freshman of the Week
4/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- University of Alabama freshman designated hitter Alex Avila (Hialeah, Fla.) was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week after his four-game performance against Miss. Valley State and Vanderbilt last week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Avila hit .471 (8-17) last week with five runs scored, four runs and seven RBI. He went 2-for-3 with two RBI in UA's 5-0 win over MVSU last Wednesday night. His two-run single in the seventh inning broke open the game as UA took a 5-0 lead.
He was 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI in series opener against Vanderbilt and then had the best game of his career by going 4-for-6 with four runs scored, three doubles and four RBI in UA's 14-7 win un the nightcap. Avila recorded a career-high three doubles in the win and he scored the tying run in the 4th inning of the win.
For the season, Avila is batting .310 (40-for-129) in 39 games with three home runs and 25 RBI. He is third on the team in hitting and fifth in RBI. In SEC play, he is hitting .348 (23-for-66) with one home run and 16 RBI in 17 games. The 16 RBI ranks third on the team in league play.
Since March 19, Avila has hit safely in 15 of 20 games and raised his season average 86 points. He is 20-for-52 (.385) in his last 12 games, with two home runs and 14 RBI.
Alabama has had four SEC Freshman of the Week winners this season. In addition to Avila, pitcher Tommy Hunter is a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week winner.
*Alabama moved to 6th in both the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls on Monday. The sixth-place ranking is the highest for Alabama since being ranked 4th and 6th heading into the 2002 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional.
