NICH’s Paz, NSU’s Harmon Crowned Southland Baseball Players of the Week
FRISCO, Texas – Nicholls’ Alec Paz is the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week and Northwestern State starter Johnathan Harmon earns Pitcher of the Week honors, the league announced Monday. Weekly awards are presented by
GEICO.
Paz provided a big bat over the weekend for the Colonels, who recorded the first sweep of Southeastern in two decades and the first road sweep of a conference opponent since 2019. The graduate first-baseman hit .400 at the plate with six RBI, four extra-base hits and three runs across Nicholls’ four wins last week. The Colonels (13-9, 3-0 SLC) host Lamar at 6:30 p.m. CT Tuesday before opening a three-game home series against McNeese at 6 p.m. Friday.
On Saturday, Harmon tossed the Demons’ first nine-inning complete game since 2019 to even the series and set up Northwestern State to take the series on Sunday. He allowed just one run on four hits with five strikeouts in the 2-1 pitchers duel. The Demons (12-12, 2-1 SLC) return to Natchitoches to welcome Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a three-game series, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Hitter of the Week – Alec Paz, Nicholls – Graduate – First Baseman – Dallas, Texas
All but one of Paz’s five hits versus Southeastern went for extra-bases as he led a high-scoring Nicholls offense to its first sweep of the Lions since 2002. He doubled in the series opener and added a solo home run and RBI single in Saturday’s 11-4 victory. Paz reached base safely five times in the finale, including a RBI double to spark a six-run opening frame. He also hit the first of back-to-back home runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach. In the Colonels’ mid-week win over Louisiana, Paz registered a crucial RBI base-knock in the eighth inning of the 6-5 decision.
Honorable Mention: Parker Edwards, HBU; Jeffrey Elkins, Northwestern State; Josh Leslie, McNeese; Leo Markotic, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Shea Thomas, Southeastern.
Pitcher of the Week – Johnathan Harmon, Northwestern State – Sophomore – Hornbeck, La.
Harmon bookended his dazzling start by retiring the first eight batters and the final eight batters on the day, securing the program’s first nine-inning complete game since 2019. A day after the Privateers racked up 14 hits in the series opener, he limited their bats to just four hits. With ice in his veins, Harmon stranded the go-ahead or tying runner in scoring position twice in the final five frames, never with more than a one-run advantage. He tallied two of his five strikeouts in the final two innings.
Honorable Mention: Chandler David, UIW; Devin Desandro, Nicholls; Andrew Reitmeyer, HBU; Hayden Thomas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.
2022 Southland Baseball Players of the Week
March 28 – Alec Paz, Nicholls; Johnathan Harmon, Northwestern State.
March 21 – Amani Larry, New Orleans; Adam Guth, Southeastern.
March 14 – Garrett Felix, Nicholls; Collin Horton, New Orleans
March 8 – Brendan Ryan, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Cameron Foster, McNeese
March 1 – Pearce Howard, New Orleans; Michael Garza, UIW
Feb. 22 – Jake Miller, HBU; Grant Rogers, McNeese