McDade, Hester named Zaxby's Athletes of the Week

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University baseball outfielder Jarel McDade and softball first baseman Emily Hester have been named the Zaxby's Athletes of the Week.

McDade, a senior from Magnolia, Texas, batted .353 with a team-high 10 RBI as the Tusculum baseball team went 3-1 on the week including a South Atlantic Conference series victory at arch-rival Carson-Newman.

He opened the week with a two-run double in Tusculum's 15-4 home win over Bluefield State last Wednesday. He also scored a run and record a stolen base.

In Saturday's doubleheader sweep at Carson-Newman, he batted a blistering 5-for-8 on the day where he finished with eight RBI and scored four runs.  In Saturday's first game, he belted a three-run homer in the ninth inning to plate some needed insurance runs in a 12-8 victory over the Eagles.  In the night-cap, McDade reached base in his five plate appearances as he went 3-for-3 including a three-run triple to spark a six-run, second inning as TU won 12-8.

On the week, McDade posted a .706 slugging percentage and a .421 on-base percentage.  On the season, the 2018 All-SAC first team performer has posted six doubles, three home runs and leads the team with 38 RBI, which are ranked second in the conference.

Hester went 7-for-14 at the plate with three doubles, two home runs and 11 runs batted in as the Pioneers were 3-1 against SAC opponents last week. In a doubleheader split with Anderson on Tuesday, the senior from Kings Mountain, North Carolina hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as part of a 3-for-4 performance in a 12-4 victory in game one.

Against Newberry on Saturday, Hester was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI as the Pioneers rallied for a 5-4 victory in eight innings in game one. In game two, Hester slugged a go-ahead three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to rally the Pioneers to a 7-5 win and the sweep of the Wolves. Hester was 2-for-4 with a walk and drove in four runs in the game two victory. She also handled 41 chances at first base without an error in the four games.

For the season, Hester leads the Pioneers in batting average (.346), home runs (7), runs batted in (26), doubles (8) and slugging percentage (.718). Hester ranks fifth in the SAC in homers, ninth in slugging percentage and is tied for 10th in RBIs.

Hester has now hit 23 career home runs, leaving her six behind Brie Griffin (29 from 2004-07) for the school career record. She also ranks ninth in program history in hits (164), tied for ninth in doubles (31), fifth in runs batted in (135), seventh in total bases (266), third in walks (73), first in sacrifice flies (11) and first in putouts (996).

The Tusculum University Athlete of the Week Award is sponsored by Zaxby's, located at 3280 Andrew Johnson Highway in Greeneville.  The Zaxby's Athlete of the Week Award honors one male and one female athlete each week from an in-season sport.

2018-2019 Zaxby's Athletes of the Week